


Burn

by AliceDays



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 13:34:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 84,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8847031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceDays/pseuds/AliceDays
Summary: It took losing everything for life to finally start.





	1. Why start now?

Chapter 1 – Why start now?

August 23rd, 2001

He was sitting by the counter at a bar, a glass of whiskey half full in hand. The place was almost empty, a light mist blurring the view somewhat, but he could see her very well. She as sitting in a high bench, a soft light right above her, and he was mesmerized by her voice. He couldn’t even tell what she was singing. Her voice entered his ears like an angel’s, her big, shiny blue eyes even at a distance, the very red lips contrasting with the white skin. Wavy golden hair cascading over one of her shoulders until it almost touched her hips; the other shoulder naked. Her voice was incredibly strong and delicate at the same time, singing a song with intensity and feeling.  
He felt a shock when those big blue eyes turned to his direction. It was impossible to turn his eyes from hers, even if he wanted to. He didn’t. She still sang and looked at him for a long time, until the song was over. The intensity of his eyes captured her.  
He had never believed himself to be an attractive man. He was taller than most people he knew; his hair was deep black, thick and oily. For a long time he had used them long, unknowingly trying to hide behind it. They were now short and with a few gray hairs starting to show by his temples. In his face, lines forcibly carved by time and personal tempests gave him his austere look, and his big nose gave him a dramatic appearance. His eyes, deep black, made who was being watched, looked from above, to feel their soul was being observed.  
She felt that. At a distance, that man sitting by the counter looked at her without withdrawing, without blinking, and something in those eyes arrested her. She tried to look away and at the other people who were watching her, but this task turned out to be too hard. When me song was over, she was finally able to look down. A few people applauded, she smiled without looking directly at any of them, and held her whiskey glass. Taking a sip, she started the next song. She couldn’t stop looking at those black eyes for more than a few seconds. She smiled when the song allowed her and he, on the other side of the bar, felt a chill run all over his body.  
People applauded a little more enthusiastically with every passed song, maybe slowly noticing they were before a real talented singer inside that small isolated pub, hidden from the movement of the village. After a while she made a break. A low music started on the background and people noticed how dull it was and how much more life she had given the night with her music.  
Taking her empty whiskey glass, she descended the low stage and moved to the bar. Walking towards it, from the top of her high heels, a light elegant stride, she couldn’t help but looking at him again. He was on the other extremity of the counter, and she sat by it close to her stage, and laid the empty glass before her. A man came close immediately. From the distance, that man still observed her. He saw the gentleman sit by her side and talk to her. She answered politely and the man ordered a drink. A tall cold glass with a pink drink and ostensive ornaments was laid before her.  
She didn’t like those drinks. They were sweet, weak and with no personality. The man offered her a drink and even before she could say what she’d have – not that she would really like drinking with that man – he ordered it and sat by her side, a risqué look in his eyes. All she wanted was to order another whiskey and that this stranger would leave her alone.  
In a moment he seemed to understand he wasn’t welcome, for he left leaving her alone with her colorful drink. As if waiting for his turn, yet another one approached her from the other side, making another drink slide on the counter. It looked like soda and, the black eyed man saw, she looked at it with the expression she had given the pink drink. She tried to smile politely at him, but looking at him, her eyes slid to those black ones. He was still silent and whey they eyes met it felt even more intense than before. He felt her bright eyes communicate with him.  
As a noble gentleman going at the defenseless lady’s rescue, he ordered two whiskeys. Holding them both, he got up and walked slowly, as if gliding, along the counter. He passed her and approached the bench by her side, but it was with the man he talked.  
“She drinks whiskey. In a tall glass, with ice”, and then he rested the described glass in front of her. “If you excuse me”.  
The man thought about responding and not leaving, but the danger in those eyes made him shiver a little. He apologized and withdrew, taking with him the soda-like drink.  
When she heard him speaking behind her, she couldn’t control the chills than ran over her spine. His voice was deep, velvety; he spoke in a soft rhythm and quietly but firmly. She slowly turned her head, not completely, and looked at him over her shoulder. She saw the owner of those eyes, and now knew he also had an amazingly beautiful voice. The eyes and the voice sat by her side, resting his elbows on the counter, holding his glass and shaking it to hear the sound of the ice.  
“Looks like you’re the only one here who pays attention”, she said. “In a tall glass, with ice”.  
The man didn’t speak, just held his own tall glass with ice and leaned it a little in her direction, proposing a toast, and they both drank. 

* * *

She closed the door behind her and felt his hand touch her neck and slid to her nape, holding her firmly and leaning down to her lips. She felt his smell and could almost taste the whiskey. Looking deeply into her eyes, really close now, he saw her nearly close her eyes and slightly open her lips. Not able to stop staring at her shiny eyes, he touched his lips in hers and felt them soft under his, the flavor of the whiskey mixed to something sweet and intoxicant. He felt her kiss him back, her eyes shut and the tip of her tongue invite him in. Holding her back with his free arm, pulling her firmly closer to his chest, he deepened the kiss, their tongues entwining together, slowly, no hush. Holding his shoulders, she held on to him as if needing support to remain standing. She felt shocked and calm at the same time, like she wanted to devour him and also like she wanted that slow kiss for the whole night if it was possible.  
He held her back firmly and long minutes passed when they just kissed, their lips and tongues getting to know the other, they breaths coming stronger now. She ran her hands through his nape, hair and face, softly and taking their time for him to feel her touch. The noises from the bar downstairs disappeared. After a kiss that had seemed to go on all night long, and for just a few seconds at the same time, he parted his lips from hers. She opened her eyes and they seemed to shine now even more, and he noticed she was breathless. He tried to think about how amazing that kiss had been, but thinking was the last thing he wanted at that moment. He still held her nape and back, and she felt him softly kiss her face, jaw and neck. She held him stronger in her arms when she felt his arm in her back move. He held her by the hip, pressing her harder to him, and heard her sigh. The tip of his tongue moved on her neck, going up to the back of her ear and down again, slowly, tasting her with no hush. He felt the chills again when her nails dip into his coat over his shoulders. He slid her hair back and held her nape firmly, angling her head to kiss her neck and naked shoulder.  
The hand that held her hip roamed again along her back and found the zipper of her dress. He took it and slid it slowly down and looked at her again. He wanted to be sure that she wanted the dress gone as much as he wanted. She said nothing, just stared at him with those big blue eyes and bit her red lip. Holding her gaze, he took the zipper all the way down, leaving her bare back under his warm hand. She shivered again, her skin soft under his. The dress fell to the ground and he kissed her again, feeling her body against his, her breath coming stronger now. With a sudden step, he pressed her against the wall and heard her whimper in excitement.  
He trailed kisses from her lips to her neck once again, and now to her shoulders and collarbone until he found the line of her breasts covered by a black strapless bra. He quickly released its clasp and threw it away, leaving her breasts bare. He took a few seconds admiring them before looking at her eyes again. She had a small malicious smile on her face and that was like and fuse for him. She had seen desire in his deep black eyes staring at her breasts and felt hot in anticipation to what those eyes were promising. When he looked at her again she reached out for his hair and pulled him down to her left breast. He took it into his open mouth immediately, reaching up and holding firmly the other one with his hand. The shivers were not just in her spine now. Feeling his tongue and lips, wet and warm on her nipples make a delicious warm feeling travel through her body and take place inside her knickers.  
He heard her moan and couldn’t understand how he hadn’t done it himself. He felt her hands holding his hair and her nipple harden inside his mouth. She arched up when he held her firmly by her back, curving himself upon her. When he heard her moan loudly and breathless, he understood she had no more power to stand over her legs. He uprighted again, a breast still in his mouth, held her up and walked towards the bed. When her legs touched it, he released her hard nipple and kissed her lips again. Her hands flew to his buttons. Kissing him deeply, she took her time to open one by one, drinking on his kiss once again. She slid his shirt over his shoulder and held him as if it was urgent and they felt they bare chests touching.  
Deciding not to wait any longer to feel the weight of that man on top of her, she sat on the bed and pulled him with her, lying down slowly. He was on top of her now, one knee between her legs, and hugged her tightly kissing her again. She felt small and protected underneath him and felt him lift his leg and place his tight between her legs, pressing against her. She felt the tempting volume inside his trousers and couldn’t hold in a moan. Kissing her breasts again, he let his hand roam over her face, neck, chest, stomach and reach her knickers. He touched her through it and felt it wet and smelled her scent denouncing her excitement. He rubbed her there and heard her cry out and grip his hair. Drunk with her scent, whiskey, honey, sandal, he kneed on the bed in front of her and undid the buttons of his trousers. Desire exhaled from that woman and those big blue eyes and red lips took him to the edge. He couldn’t wait anymore.  
Getting up from the bed, he quickly took off his trousers and underwear, throwing away his shoes and socks in the process. She rose up on her elbows and maliciously smiled at him again, seeing him finally free of what was restraining him, erect and ready for her. He reached for her hips and slid her knickers down, slowly. She propped slightly up on her heels, opening up for him, inviting him in. As if it was an order he couldn’t deny, he lay on top of her, their bodies meeting as if for magic. He looked at her eyes, if it was possible, even deeper now; the head of his penis on her entrance and slowly sliding in. She moaned loud, he felt insane. He fitted entirely inside her in a slow, firm movement and they cried out together. It felt perfect. He withdrew and entered again, they eyes still locked. Her lips were parted and her breath shallow, feeling him out and in again, slowly and firmly. She felt filled with his masculinity and the intensity of his touch and his eyes. He wanted to devour her, marveled, her tight walls around him, wet, responsive, deliciously moaning under him. His movements intensified little by little as well as their breathing. The world outside was silent now hearing to their moaning and the wet impact of their bodies. He was moving faster now and she was crying out loudly. He held firmly her buttocks and pounded into her, saying incoherent words, their eyes locked and their bodies reaching release. She cried out and went silent, as if not breathing, her body trembling and her walls clenching around his erection, and he was done. They moaned together, fighting for breath, still connected.  
They kissed again slowly when their breaths slowed down, before he parted from her and lied by her side. He smile when she laughed deliciously, closing her eyes.  
“My name is Heather”.  
“Severus”.

* * *

September 1st, 2001

The most of the teachers had already taken their places at the high table even before the carriages arrived with the students. While they were entering, the faculty and headmistress waited for them, wordless welcoming the loud teenagers entering. Severus had never really liked to do it. It was such a long time to be just sitting around, waiting to the Great Hall to fill and the ceremony to initiate. There was no more to talk to the other teachers – not that he was very keen of chatter with his colleagues – seeing that it had been two weeks since the staff was back from the summer to prepare the castle and their classes. Therefore, Severus preferred joining them at the table just a few minutes before the ceremony.  
A sea of students filled the tables at the great hall when he entered, their loud voices muffling the sound of his own footsteps on the stone floor. He walked behind his colleagues greeting the politely until he found his seat between Spout and Flitwick and sat facing the table of his house, Slytherin. His students nodded greeting him and he responded equally.  
At the center of the table, Headmistress McGonagall rose from her seat, rounded the table and stood in front of the crowd. The students, who were still standing, excitedly chatting with friends, ran to take their places and the hall fell silent. Minerva smiled looking around before speaking.  
“My dear students, it is a pleasure to see you all once again! Welcome to one more year at Hogwarts”  
As pleasant as Minerva’s speech could be, it was always the same, and Severus didn’t even try to keep his mind on it for very long. Instead, he just observed the students, remembering their faces and names. He knew perfectly his students, the Slytherins, but the others he knew only from classes, but did remember all of their names.  
But of that one he had no memory of. Sitting on the edge of Ravenclaw table, there was someone’s back turned to him, and he could see her profile when she looked at the headmistress. He couldn’t remember her name or who she was, but knew he had seen her before. Golden hair falling straight down to her waist and the white skin seemed oddly familiar. Severus noticed she looked from the headmistress along the table, looking at each of the staff member. The more she turned to watch, the more her face showed. She wore glasses, now he could see clearly.  
A moment before she turned and looked at him directly, his stomach dropped. It felt like being punched and his mouth went dry as if in a desert. Without knowing his eyes widened in her direction.  
Then she looked at him.  
Those big, bright blue eyes, not unrecognizable even under the ugliest glasses in the world – which was not true, even with the surprise he couldn’t help but noticing how well she wore them – fixed in his eyes and widened imitating his perfectly. He saw her mouth gap and himself stuck in his seat, their eyes locked.  
“…was accepted by our institution and will be having classes with the sixth year Ravenclaws, as the Sorting Hat previously determined, Miss Heather Sebastian!”  
When the Ravenclaw table started clapping happily and some of her new colleagues reached to her to greet and welcome her, she seemed to wake up from a dream and smile immediately, shook hands with people around and rose up slightly, looking around the hall and thanking their warm welcome. Looking once again at the staff table was not avoidable, though. Severus applauded like the others, but his eyes were still wider than normal.  
The headmistress authorized Hagrid to enter with the first years to be sorted into their new houses and every attention turned to them. Minutes later, Heather saw herself circled by children, ten or eleven years old, sitting around her at the edge of the table. Trying not to catch any attention, she got up and walked along the table, a little lowered, and found a group of the oldest looking young people.  
“May I sit here with you?”, she asked in a low voice. “I got stuck with babies back there”.  
They smiled and two of them slid to their sides to make room for her. Dinner had been served and the hall was noisy again. Sitting between a blonde boy and a tan brunette girl, who smiled broadly, Heather smiled around, noticing how curiously people looked at her.  
“It’s okay, ask around!”  
Minutes later she felt a little more comfortable with those young people around her. After a dozen of them asked a few questions and chattered briefly with her, just to know why she was there, only three of them really engaged in conversation. The brunette girl by her side was Emily Banks, the blond boy was Davon Jones, and one of the girls in front of her was Sandra Wilkinson.  
As much as Heather was trying to focus on them and talk normally, she couldn’t avoid looking at the high table from time to time. In many of those times she caught Severus looking at her as well, and she could almost cut the tension in the air with a butter knife.  
“I thought you knew we had a new student arriving this year, Severus”, Filius Flitwick was saying. “It was communicated to every professor”.  
“Yes, it was communicated and I was aware”, he answered. “But I was under the impression that it would be someone who would resemble a little more the others. What is her story?”  
“Oh, I could hardly tell you her story, my friend. She was very private about her background, and even if I knew the details I could not open up the life of a student in my house. All I can affirm is what has already been told”.  
“All that has been told is that a new student would join us this year”.  
“Exactly, my friend, exactly! The Sorting Hat chose her to have classes among my Ravenclaw and I am very proud of that”.  
With no more precise answers, Severus gave up and tried to feign disinterest. Her eyes, though several meters away, kept calling his like magnets. Big, bright blue magnets.  
When dinner was over and students rose from their tables to go to the common rooms, Heather was surprised by Filius Flitwick, who stood on the bench by her side before she got up.  
“Good to see you again, Miss Sebastian”  
“Professor Flitwick, my pleasure. I am very happy to be here”  
“I see you have met a few of you new colleagues. Banks, Jones, Wilkinson”, the small professor spoke t them. “Welcome back. You may go, I will escort Miss Sebastian to her rooms”  
“Is she not staying with us?”, Emily asked getting up  
“No, Miss Sebastian will take a guest room on the third floor”.  
Rising from the table and walking along with her Head of House, Heather tried to memorize the way from the hall to her room. Out of the hall, stairs to the left, take the moving stairs, three floors up, second hall to the right, first to the left, find a leaking watering can portrait.  
“This portrait leads to the guest room’s hallway”, the head of house explained. “There are five rooms and only yours will be occupied now; it’s the first door to your right. The password has to be set. Before you open the door, say your chosen word and that will be the code for the remainder of the semester. Can I help you with something else?”  
Thanking the tiny professor, Heather entered through the portrait and found herself in a long corridor, torches on the wall lit immediately, giving it a golden comfortable light. She took five steps and found her door. She stood there thinking about a code.  
“Etta James”.  
The door opened with a clique and she walked in. It was a large square room; in front of the door, a small living area with a fireplace, two chairs and a coffee table on a soft looking rug; to her left, the private area had a four post high bed and a navy blue curtain, by both sides of the bed, nightstands with lit candles on them. By its right a big wardrobe and a door the thought must lead to a bathroom.  
She walked towards the bed and sat, took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to believe it was all really happening. She had fought for long years to be exactly where she was now.  
Only she hadn’t imagined, ever, that something so complicated would catch her at a glance, in her first minutes at the school. That man was sitting at the high table. Severus. The mysterious, elegant charming man she had met in the bar was, apparently, one of the professors. Heather finally laughed at the irony. Nothing in her life had ever been simply. Why start now?


	2. Out of nowhere

Chapter 2 – Out of Nowhere

August 24th

A smile escaped her lips when the door of the bar opened and he entered. Severus. He stopped at the threshold and looked at her. She recognized that little smile only she could see, his head lowering a bit to invade her with those eyes. He walked towards the counter and took his seat. That night the bar was a little more crowded that the night before. It seemed like the news about the live music in one of Hogsmeade’s pubs has spread. The owner seemed very happy behind the counter when the poured Severus his whiskey, he didn’t even have to order it. When the song was over and people applauded, Severus got surprised at how different those had been from the night before. Heather smiled and he noticed just how much she enjoyed hearing that sound. During the remainder of her show she tried not to keep looking at him, but their eyes seemed forced to one another.  
It was already the second half of the show and it was over in less than one hour. Stepping out of the stage, she tried to walk directly to the bar, but people interrupted her, lots of them just to compliment her performance, other trying a longer conversation. Severus smiled to himself watching Heather excusing herself politely and walking away, always smiling, and finally reached the bar. Severus had already ordered her drink and she sat by his side, smiling tired at him.  
“Is it like that every night?”, he asked  
“It’s just my second night here, but yes, it uses to be like that at other places”, she answered and took a sip  
“You’re going to get famous in Hogsmeade”.  
“I surely hope so. If people know me, I get more gigs, or I can charge more for them”  
“I see you don’t do that just for the love of art, then”.  
“Of course I do. If I didn’t love singing, I’d have chosen something else to do and make money. But, you see, loving my work doesn’t pay the bills. I can’t tell my landlord ‘Sorry, I’ve got no money to pay the rent, but see: I love my job!”.  
He smiled. “I see your point. But for all I know you don’t really have a home where you have to pay rent”.  
“Not here. The room upstairs is temporary”.  
“Are you going somewhere?”  
“Yes”.  
Severus looked at her waiting for the end of the sentence, but she didn’t say anything else. She smiled raising an eyebrow and took a sip of her glass.  
“You’re not expecting me to start telling you my story, are you?”, she asked smiling  
Severus laid his glass slowly on the counter and turned to face Heather, leaning dangerously close to her.   
“The only thing I want from you right now, Heather”, he said and leaned further down until his lips lightly touched her earlobe. “is to see you naked under me in that bed”.

* * *

September 2nd

On the arm of one of the chairs in her bedroom, Heather found some new clothes, Hogwarts uniforms, that he had needed to order especially for her in one of the stores in Diagon Alley. A few parts of it were blue, Ravenclaw color, but the symbol on its chest was Hogwarts’. After a quick shower in the morning, Heather put on the uniform and looked at herself on the wardrobe mirror.   
“Who’d think, Miss Sebastian”, she said to her own reflex. “You’re wearing a school uniform again. What would Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian say now?”  
A voice similar to hers came out of the mirror, “I’m sure they would be very proud of you, my dear”.  
She laughed. “Oh, shut up, mirror. You know nothing”.  
Closing the door and the mirror inside, she took her backpack, which was already prepared with the books she would need for the day, and left her bedroom, followed the corridor and passed through the portrait. Outside it, a crowd of students walked towards the Great Hall, and if she didn’t remember her way to get there, all she had to do was to follow them. Instinctively, she looked along the high table, but Severus was not there. Heather quickly looked for familiar faces and found the three teenagers with whom she had talked the night before, half way along the Ravenclaw table.   
“Honestly, I think I’d rather have been allocated into your common room”, she said taking a seat. “I think I might get s little solitary in my room”.  
“Don’t worry”, Emily started. “You’re going to be so busy, you’’’ only be there to sleep late night and then leave early in the morning. You’re in sixth year, am I right?”  
“Yes. Are you?”  
“I’m in seventh”, Davon answered. “You children are gonna have to endure one year without my illustrious company”.  
Sandra, by his side, poked him in the ribs. “Arse”.  
Laughing, Heather said “I’m in sixth, but I’ll try and eliminate a few subjects and have extra classes. Depending on my grades, I’ll be allowed to take my NEWT’s and graduate this year”.  
“Nice. Do you mind if I ask why would they let you do that?”, Davon asked  
“Because I’m not young enough to be a sixth year student, am I?”  
“I don’t know, how old are you”, Sandra asked  
Heather smiled and blushed a little. “Let’s just say… A little bit older than you guys”.  
Before any more questions were asked, owls flew into the Great Hall bringing mail, throwing a parchment in front of each student, informing their weekly schedule. Heather opened hers, and it was much more extensive then the others’.  
“We start with Defense”, Emily said sounding tired  
“Why do I have the feeling this is not good?”  
“It’s not bad”, she defended. “The subject is great, the classes are good, very dynamic, very useful, but… The professor is the toughest in the school, and hearing him complain and take points away for just anything is a little too much for a Monday morning”.  
“Who’s the teacher?”  
“Snape”, Sandra answered and pointed to the high table. “That one taking his seat”.  
She looked to where the girl was pointing and saw him. Severus was sitting down in the same seat he took last night, and he didn’t look towards Ravenclaw table.  
“He’s Slytherin’s Head of House too”, Davon continued. “Really, I think his classes are so much better now than when I started in my first year. He taught potions”.  
“He was a monster!”, Emily summarized, laughing. “Now we can cope with him, but he is still too harsh for my liking”  
“What did he do that was so horrible?”, Heather asked taking her eyes off the professor and staring at her oatmeal, trying not to sound too interested.   
“He was so bitter you could taste it in the air”, said Sandra. “Nobody could say a word out of the line, take a step that was not expected, and loads of points where taken away. He was scary”.  
“And he didn’t wash his hair”, Emily ended  
“But it all obviously had a reason, girls, don’t forget it”, said Davon. “Everything was cleared after wall”.  
“What do you mean”, Heather asked looking at him  
“When the war was over and he survived a venous snake attack, and before that everyone believed him to be Death Eater for Voldemort. You know the story”.  
“He was a what for whom? No, I don’t know the story”.  
“I can’t believe you don’t know about the war!”, said Sandra  
“Where are you from, anyway?”, Davon asked. “I can see your accent is different”.  
“America. I heard about the war, of course, the whole world did, but I don’t think we did get the details”.  
“Did you het History of Magic?”  
“Yes, it gives me extra credit”.  
“Then ask Binns. He’s and old ghost, but when someone mentions the war, he gets all excited”  
“And the other students would also want to tell their own war stories”, said Sandra. “All of us have a story”  
“Okay, I’ll ask him. But to sum up, what does S… Professor Snape had to do with it?”  
“Everything!”, Emily said excitedly. “The man is a hero!”

The classroom was huge. At the end of it there was a set of stairs going up to a closed door. Besides it, the teacher’s desk and its chair and a black board. Every window was open and the desks were all slid to the sided of the room, leaving its center empty. Heather walked in with Emily and Sandra, following the other Ravenclaws. Her heart was pounding now, but she didn’t show. With them, other students from another house also walked in.  
“They’re Slytherins”, Sandra informed. “How luck are we; having class with Slytherin and their Head of House”.  
“What’s the matter with Slytherin?”, Heather asked looking at the students standing on the other side of the room  
“Lately, none”, Emily answered. “But in the past they were enemies with everyone else and lots of them left school after the war. There were Death Eaters among them, or some of their parents were, so you can imagine how they were. But after the war they are living with the other houses almost normally”.  
“Yes, but Snape still privileges them, you can’t deny it”, Sandra finished  
“The way you talk about this professor Snape”, Heather said swallowing, “I’m getting a little scared”.  
Emily smiled, “Don’t be. He is not that bad. Just be prepared for a few...Unfair things”.  
A few students who were still on the hallway ran into the class and, a second later, professor Snape entered and closed the door behind him.  
“Five points from each Ravenclaw and Slytherin who ran to get in before me”, was the first thing he said, walking quickly through the students to stand before the class. The classroom was huge. At the end of it there was a set of stairs going up to a closed door. Beside it, the teacher’s desk and its chair and a black board. Every window was open and the desks were all slid to the sides of the room, leaving its center empty. Heather walked in with Emily and Sandra, following the other Ravenclaws. Her heart was pounding now, but she didn’t show. With them, other students from another house also walked in.  
“They’re Slytherins”, Sandra informed. “How lucky are we; having class with Slytherin and their Head of House”.  
“What’s the matter with Slytherin?”, Heather asked looking at the students standing on the other side of the room  
“Lately, none”, Emily answered. “But in the past they were enemies with everyone else and lots of them left school after the war. There were Death Eaters among them, or some of their parents were, so you can imagine how they were. But after the war they are living with the other houses almost normally”.  
“Yes, but Snape still privileges them, you can’t deny it”, Sandra finished  
“The way you talk about this professor Snape”, Heather said swallowing, “I’m getting a little scared”.  
Emily smiled, “Don’t be. He is not that bad. Just be prepared for a few...Unfair things”.  
A few students who were still on the hallway ran into the class and, a second later, professor Snape entered and closed the door behind him.  
“Five points from each Ravenclaw and Slytherin who ran to get in before me”, was the first thing he said, walking quickly through the students to stand before the class.  
Emily shot Heather with an ‘I told you’ look. The three of them set their school bags on the desks in the corner of the room and the group of students stood in the middle of the class facing the professor. Heather tried to mingle in the crown as much as possible, almost at the back of the class. She didn’t know how she’d act when facing him, or how he would face her after everything that’d happen between them. Heather knew it was foolish. Defense Against the Dark Arts classes tended to me very dynamic, and hiding would not be an option.  
“You are now beginning your sixth year, and the fact that there are no specific exams for this year does not mean that you will be allowed to unwind your minds and not endeavor in your studies like you’ve done last year. I will make sure you won’t”, the professor said staring around the class. “You will have, this year, an intensive preparation for your N.E.W.T.s next year, therefore I demand maximum attention and commitment. These are not optional. Do not let slip out of your minds that you can be expelled from this course at any given moment during the term in case your grades do not reach my expectations”.  
No other sound was heard in the class. Heather stared at him, fascinated. That voice, that deep look in his eyes, the mysterious countenance. He was just the same, and yet so different from what she had known. Now he wore a black billowing cloak above his clothes, making him look completely unreachable. Something in Heather’s body remembered that velvety, deep voice in the privacy of her rooms, and that something tried to rise to the surface.  
Control yourself, woman. He is your teacher. Your teacher.  
With an sudden wand movement, professor Snape made a short text appear on the black board, followed by a list.  
“This years curriculum”, he said. “Copy that at the end of the class. If you think it’s not too much, think again. We sart immediately with the first line”.  
Heather and everybody else read ‘Death Related Spells’ on the board. Walking slowly back and forth in front of his students, professor Snape asked the students which spells they knew that caused one’s death. Almost in one voice they all answered ‘Avada Kedavra’.  
“Are you incapable of saying anything other than the obvious?”, the professor asked in a bored tone  
A Slytherin student’s hand rose in the air and he mentioned a few spells that could set object in fire and said that that could be fatal. Snape answered to that saying that unless that person was a muggle, unable to cast a simple spell to turn off the fire, the answer would be correct. A few other students risked saying other spells, and the professor didn’t seem impressed with any of them. When the class fell silent again and Snape looked disappointed at them, Heather lost the battle to her hiding instinct. Slowly, she raised her hand, and it showed above her colleagues heads. Snape looked at that hand and the crowd opened space for him to see her. His expression didn’t change, and he stared fow two seconds before speaking.  
“Miss Sebastian?”  
Lowering her hand and avoiding his eyes, she said “Calvariam Pressura”.  
Heather felt the weight of every pair of eyes on her. She looked around and again at the professor. Snape was silent for a few more seconds, never taking his eyes from her.  
“Calvariam Pressura”, he repeated. “Inform the class what this spell does”.  
“It makes the natural brain pressure of the attacked person slowly rise. There is no counter spell or potion that can make this process stop. In a few hours the persons evolves from a simple headache to—“, she stopped talking, considering if she should really say it.  
“Finish your sentence, Miss Sebastian”.  
She breathed in before complying “—to bleeding from every hole in their head and dying when the eyes pop out and the brain leaks out like a sticky jelly”.  
She finished it in one breath and trying to sound and look natural when the students around her gasped imagining the scene, and she held her eyes in the professor.  
“Ten point to Ravenclaw”, he said and resumed his class, ignoring her completely again.  
He explained that the spell she had mentioned, and spoke about the unbelievable reality that it hadn’t been used in war times, telling them that was because the spell had been created by a Canadian wizard and the sixteenth century, and therefore was mainly known in the Americas, where it was one of the Unforgivables. Using that to enter the Unforgivables’ subject, he told the class that for the next few weeks they would be learning how to fight them, and they would start with the Imperio curse.  
The double class lasted for two hours. Heather was almost able to distract herself from Snape’s presence when she and her colleagues tried a simple mediation to completely focus on their mind’s state, an important step to gain the ability of resisting that curse. Snape walked among the student correcting and scowling at them. He avoided Emily, Sandra and Heather, though, which made her really relieved. When the bell rang announcing the end of the class, she took her bag and headed to the door, not waiting for the other girls.  
“Miss Sebastian”, she head Severus’ voice… No, Snape’s. Professor Snape’s voice.  
Turning back slowly, cursing herself for not escaping fast enough, she looked at him and said nothing.  
“A word about your OWL’s”.  
Sandra and Emily walked by her and left with every other student. Heather remained at the back of the class and when they were alone, she lowered her bag to the ground and closed the door.  
Severus was already in the middle of the class, about nine feet away from her. His hands were hidden in his cloak’s pockets, and the bored look he kept thought the class was gone. Now he showed the same bewilderment he felt last night. Heather looked seriously at him and arched up an eyebrow, finally smiling sarcastically at him.  
“So, what do you do for a living?”  
She notice a hint of a smile on the corner of his lips, but it was quickly gone, frowning at her.  
“Do you think it funny?”  
“No, I don’t”.  
“You didn’t think it was important to mention that you were a student?”  
“Just like you didn’t find it important to tell me that you are a Hogwarts’ professor”, she answered immediately using the same tone he had.  
He was closer to her now, although neither of them noticed him moving. He was an arm’s length, if he dared to touch her.  
“That’s impossible”, he said angrily. “How can you be a student?”  
“Severus”, she said unthinkingly, but stopped herself, looking down. “Professor Snape. It’s a long story”.  
“You need to tell me something about it, Heather”.  
She looked up at the sound of her name, when she had restrained herself from saying his. He didn’t look angry anymore, but the intensity of those black eyes staring down at her made her shiver.  
“We agreed not to talk about our personal lives, didn’t we?”  
“I don’t believe any rules we set before are still valid”.  
She looked at him in silence, hesitating, and Severus noticed something like an internal debate going on in her eyes, before she took a sudden step back.  
“I need to go or I’ll be late for my next class”.  
She leaned to take her bag and shoved it over one shoulder, turning to open the door. Severus followed close and passed his arm above her shoulder, pressing his palm again the door to make it softly close again. Heather froze with him on her back; she could feel the front of his robed rubbing against the back of hers.  
“Just one question for now”, he said quietly, dangerously close to her ear, and Heather closed her eyes to stop them from rolling back. He didn’t let go of the door. Heather took a deep breath and opened her eyes, turning her head just enough to look at him sideways.  
“For now?”, she asked  
“For now”, he affirmed looking down at her. Heather nodded for him to go on. “How old are you?”  
Heather smiled, turning a little more towards him to look into his eyes. “Don’t worry, Severus. You’re not committing any crime. I’m twenty one”.

* * *  
August 24th

“The only thing I want from you right now, Heather”, he said and leaned further down until his lips lightly touched her earlobe. “is to see you naked under me in that bed”.  
He leaned back in his chair and saw her eyes lock with his. He recognized the same malicious glow in them and that little smile, the fight not to smile that he saw last night. Those big, blue eyes expressed more than she probably knew. Turning back to her glass, she finished it in one gulp and reached out for his hand. He felt it wet and cold from holding the glass. Heather got up and Severus let him lead herm suddenly turning from seductive to seduced. Heather took him to the end of the bar, where a narrow set of stairs took them to the inn upstairs. They walked through the corridor and got to the last door, which Heather opened with a gesture of her wand.  
She walked in and Severus followed her. When the door closed, she felt Severus hold her from the back and his mouth find her exposed neck in an instant. She had her hair tied in a loose knot on top of her head. She felt the temperature rise in a second. Severus’ firm hands were in her waist and pulled her closer to him, her back to his chest, and Heather felt herself melt under his touch. He kissed her neck and shoulder, dropping her cetin blouse strap, almost leaving her breast exposed. Sliding his right hand from her waist to her belly and finally finding her breast, he felt himself twitch inside his pants feeling she wore no bra. He held her firmly in his hand, and his palm was poked by her hardening nipple.  
“Severus…”, she whispered dropping her head back onto his shoulder.  
As if it had been an order, Severus turned her to face him, reaching for her nape and pulling her for a kiss. That was the kiss she kept remembering all day long, that kiss he couldn’t wait to taste again. Grabbing strongly his back, Heather pulled his shirt up, out of his waistband, and started undoing it. Hastily she slid the open shirt from his shoulders and reached for his belt, trying to undo it. Severus stopped kissing her and held her hands, stopping her movements.  
“No rush”, she whispered, his lips brushing against hers. “I want you all night long”.  
Heather looked at his deep black eyes and breathed in, trying to control her anxiety to have him. They kissed again, slowly now, while a shock ran up her spine, that perfect kiss and his arms fitting around her back. Severus ran his hands up her back, pulling the cetin blouse and throwing it away. She felt his hands on her skin and the feeling to be small and protected invaded her.  
Lifting her with ease, Severus placed her legs around his waist and sat on the bed. Heather’s face was now on level with his, and he stared at her clue eyes for a moment before leaning down to her chest. She leaned back to give him room and closed her eyes, head dropping back, when she felt him close his lips around a nipple. She shivered all over and moaned, his warn tongue on her skin. Heather grabbed his upper arms, nails digging into his skin, marking their way to his back and up to his nape and hair. She could smell him, and earthy, sandal and spices perfume. Breathing deeply, she tried to bind that smell in her mind.  
Severus let go of her nipple and looked at her eyes. He saw her lips parted as she breather hard, her bright eyes shining in lust. Holding firmly her waist, Severus rocked her against him. Taking his hint, Heather held on to his shoulders and rocked herself, feeling their bodies touch under both pants. She saw his eyes nearly close and his breathing came uneven, but he still stared into her eyes. Moaning, Heather bit her lower lip and felt the moist insider her knickers and she rubbed against his erect hidden shaft.  
Letting go of her waist, Severus opened the buttons of her jeans and slid down the zipper, quickly finding his way inside it and down to her knickers. Heather stopped moving and raise up a little, giving room for his hand to touch her. She lost her breathing rhythm at his touch. He found her wet and hot, and breather in between his teeth.  
“Delicious...”, she whispered, his voice low in lust. “You are amazing”.  
“It’s you”, she was able to form the words. “You’re doing that to me”.  
He moved his hand leisurely on her labia, parting them to find his way inside her. He inserted a finger on her tight entrance and heard her moan loudly, het body melting on his lap. He felt her for a few more moments before withdrawing and getting up, Heather grabbing on to him, and lowered her to the bed, immediately pulling her jeans down her legs, knickers following close. Heather expected him to pull down his own pants and enter her now, just like her body urged her to have, but Severus didn’t touch himself. He laid down on top of her, kissing her lips again, his tongue hungrily entering her mouth, his hand finding her wet folds again. She moaned again into his mouth and he looked down at her, examining her reaction to his touch.  
“Oh, Severus”, she breathlessly whispered  
The more his finger made their way in and out of her, the louder she moaned and writhe. She almost screamed when he entered her with two finders and touches her clit with his thumb, but she never stopped looking into his eyes. Feeling her wall tighten around his fingers, Severus quickly withdrew, making her moan in disappointment, only to replace his fingers with his mouth. She did scream now, her hand flying to his hair as he kissed her every inch, lips and tongue rolling and sucking her, fingers entering her again.  
“Come for me”, he said into her folds. “I want to feel you in my mouth. Come”.  
In a moment she felt her body twitch and she went completely silent as breath forsake her, and she was desperately coming, her walls clenching around his fingers and her juices running down her thigh her his chin. Soon her voice filled the room again when she was able to breathe again, her hands grabbing her own head. Severus sat up on his heels and looked down at her, fingers toughing his lips, tasting her in his mouth. Intoxicated, Heather sat up and reached for his hair, pulling his lips down to hers, feeling her own taste on him. Surprised, Severus let her ravish his mouth, feeling the vibrations of her moans on his tongue. Never stopping kissing him, Heather worked in his pants, opening his buttons and urging him to take them down. He worked with her and took everything off, his hard, engorged shaft ready for her.  
Remembering he said he wanted her all night long, Heather fought the instinct of throwing his down to bed and riding him wantonly. Instead, she reached for his erection and sat on the edge of the bed, pushing him to stand up in front of her. She held him and stared, fascinated with what she had done to him. As Severus felt her lips close around his head, he closed his eyes and let his head fall back, unable to control his own groans. She took him into her mouth, sliding up and down, delighted with his salty taste and his loud moans. Severus held her hair and forced himself slightly into her mouth, and felt he would loose control at any moment now. Feeling the first signs of his release, Severus held her head and pulled out of her mouth, eyes tightly closed and frowning in concentration not to come now. Proud, Heather lay down on bed, licking her lips and looking up at him.  
“You’ll be the death of me, witch”, he said in a low, deep voice. “Tell me what you want”. He lay on top of her, kissing her again. She couldn’t concentrate enough to answer when she felt his erection poke her folds. “Say it, witch”, he insisted.  
“Fuck me, Severus”.  
He groaned loudly as a shock ran up his stomach. “Turn around’, he ordered.  
Heather turned onto her belly and came up her elbows and knees. Severus still stood on the side of the bed, and held her waist to roughly pull her closer to him. Holding himself, he found her entrance and entered it, just a little. Having trouble breathing normally, he held her firmly in place and pushed in. Heather screamed as he entered in one firm, strong motion, burying himself inside her wet walls. He hissed loudly, withdrawing and entering again as strongly as the first pound, and finding his rhythm. He pulled her to him as much as he forced himself in, her bottom knocking him and the wet noise mixing up with their moans and swearing.  
Heather almost lost her senses after a few minutes. She screamed that she was going to come and Severus gave up on holding back. He pounded into her even strongly now, his fingers digging into the skin of her waist. Heather rocked back onto him, desperately now, as her voice died again and she contorted against him, unable to breath. Severus pounded hard and felt himself explode inside her, and unlike her, he had voice to scream his release and her name. Long seconds later, Heather breathed in and moaned loudly, coming down from her orgasm. She could see bright stops in front of her eyes and her arms gave up. She fell onto the mattress, Severus following her still connected intimately, before leaving her body and let himself fall on his back on the bed by her side. They both breathed hard, their sweaty bodies still somewhat in ecstasy.  
“Holy shit!”, Heather said loudly in a wide smile that turned into a delicious laugh. “That was amazing!”  
“Come here”, Severus said reaching out for her and pulling her almost limp body to lie in his chest. He looked down at her, their breaths starting to steady now. Their eyes locked again and she smiled fascinated up at him. Severus ran his fingers on her cheek.  
“Where on earth did you come from?”, he asked in a whisper  
Smiling broadly, Heather brushed her lips against his. “I came out of nowhere”.


	3. Not much to tell

Chapter 3 – Not much to tell

September 4th

Professor Snape shook his head angrily and tried to focus on the tests to be corrected on his desk. He just couldn’t take her out of his mind. Random scenes from what had happened little more than a week ago kept replaying right in front of his eyes and fixing in his mind - and body. Each memory made that shock he knew well run all over his body and find a lace inside his trousers. That was impossible. He was an adult man, not a teenager. Self-control had always been one of his main characteristics, and now he felt it was all dissolving just from being close to her.  
After going through so much in his live, the end of the war brought him a strange kind of peace. He’d never learned how to live like that. In the beginning, he didn’t know how to go on with his life without the two masters he had served from half of his life. How to live a free life, just another man with a deep past like so many others, but now free? He could make the choices he wanted, he could go anywhere in the world he desired, he could just not work anymore and just be.  
He couldn’t think like that, though. Somehow, he couldn’t free himself enough to leave Hogwarts. Minerva, the new Headmistress, had offered the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher immediately after his innocent was proved.  
He owned that to Potter. The kid who had always been one of the reasons of his many problems, was not the great responsible for his freedom, and that went from the fact that he had killed Voldemort, until his actions to prove Severus’ innocence, telling the press all of his efforts to the end of the war and testifying for him in front of the Ministry. Months after the end of the war, Potter and the members of the Order of the Phoenix, including Severus, had received Ministry awards, the Orders of Merlin, first class, and where treated with respect and reverence.   
The Order had kept united, even after their caused had been reached, like a big groups of friends with lots of shares stories and struggles. Severus had never been close to any of them, and for a long tine none believed his loyalties, hated him, and would have killed him if given the chance. To see every single member of the Order to admit they had been wrong gave Severus some sort of morbid satisfaction that he didn’t show, and he had just looked down at those people and said “Dumbledore told you so”. Now he only saw the Order colleagues once a year. Soon, the third anniversary of the Final Battle would come, and that would be the only occasion where he would show up and pretend to be a social person.  
Severus had decided to accept the job he had wished for a long time. There was not more curse over the position, and he could finally do what he wanted. Everything had changed now. He left his rooms in the dungeons – not before the promise that he would still have free entrance to the potions labs down there – a moved to the chambers by the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. There were windows there. He could see the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the mountains faraway and part of the lake. He noticed, just then, how good it could be. So many years living down the dungeons, isolated, without sun light and a nice view have been part of what made him arrested inside himself. Without windows.  
After taking the job, she started to get slowly used – very slowly – to freedom. It was harder, though, to get used to being a hero. Order of Merlin, first class, getting handshakes from strangers on the street and seeing admired looks in the faces of students who used to despise him. Making his brain understand that now he had nothing more to hide, to finally start changing his attitudes was a real long path.  
It was not different with women, but with that kind of freedom it was easier to get used to. He preferred to leave the magical world, though, to go to places where nobody knew him and where no women would be interested in him just for his hero status. Going to London, missing up with muggles and enjoying his night at pubs became a habit, and he had his own fun with the anonymity. He met and spent the night with more women in those three years than he had in his entire life. He never got involved with any of them, that wasn’t the point. Severus never really believed anyone would ever be able to take his Lily’s place.  
After months and years, things got calmer and his live less turbulent. People now left the war heroes alone to move on with their lives, including him, and the liberty habit, the delights of nights with muggle women, the windows of his new chambers, the new haircut and other small changes made every time more sense in Severus’ life.   
Two weeks before the beginning of the next term, he left Spinner’s End, where he still lived, and moved back to Hogwarts among the other professors. The Castle needed to be organized, orders had to be given to the portraits, ghosts and house elves, new passwords hat to be set, and classes for the seven years had to be created. It was two weeks of hard work, and after the first week, on a Friday, Severus left the castle and went to Hogsmeade for drinks before calling it a day. He passed right through Three Broomsticks and walked for a few more empty streets until he reached Burn. He had been to that pub before and preferred it there, it was smaller, emptier and it didn’t attract teenagers.  
That night, though, Burn was not silent as usual. There was a singer there. Severus was sitting at the bar, half a glass of whiskey in hand. The pub was almost empty, and a light fog covered the view a little bit. But he could see her very well.  
He shook his head again. There was no way he could be thinking that much about her. She was a student, and one who didn’t even have the decency to tell him that in any of the nights they had spent together. Of course neither of them had told the other anything about their lives, but that information seemed too important to leave behind. When Severus met Heather, he decided to make it an exception to the rule he had created, as to never go out with any woman more than once if he didn’t have any long term intentions with her. He didn’t want to disappoint anyone; he had disappointed too many people in the course of his life; but the magnetism of those bright, blue eyes, attracting him to her, were stronger than him. Those eyes, the soft lips, her voice whispering his name had touched something inside him. Something that was untouched for long years. Too many years…  
But it was all different now. She was a student. Those thoughts must leave his mind one way or another. He avoided her all week; during meals in the Great Hall he was there, but never looked to the Ravenclaw table, and left right after finishing his food. At the second double class of Defense, he managed not to look at her and ignored her presence completely, making his class go perfectly normal. He worked with her in the practical lessons as he did with every other student, and this time he didn’t ask her to remain behind after class.  
Maybe he could make it work.   
* * *  
September 7th 

“That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”, Heather said facing the mirror, now out of her school uniforms, ready to go out. “You wanted that. You said goodbye to him. You knew this was going to happen”, she said firmly and swallowed hard. “Then just stop being such a girl, Heather Sarah. No whining”.  
She forcefully closed the wardrobe door, hiding her moments of weakness inside it. All week log she had been searching his eyes, unable to help it, but she didn’t find them. He was completely ignoring her. Well, maybe not ignoring, just treating her exactly like he treated everybody else, but she had expected something different, even if just a little distinct look or words. But there was nothing.  
Taking a deep breath and rising her chin, Heather left her bedroom, the private corridor, and walked towards the Great Hall. It was Saturday, and the advanced classed she had that morning were already over. Free to roam, Heather enjoyed the fact that she was allowed to leave the Castle anytime she wanted, if she had no classes and other appointments at school, and if she kept the right behavior outside. She sat alone to have lunch, choosing the edge of Ravenclaw table, closer to the entrance doors and away from the high table. She ate alone and in silence, and got up when finished, walking towards the door just when Professor Snape walked in. She saw him slowing his steps and their eyes met, buy neither of them stopped walking. In a few steps, Heather passed right by his side.  
“Professor Snape”.  
“Miss Sebastian”.  
She walked faster now, trying to leave him far behind. The doors leading outside were opened and she walked out, the sunshine blinding her for a moment. She stopped there and looked inside again, to see Severus standing where he was, his eyes still fixed on her. Rising a hand to her head, Heather lowered the sunglass that was there and put it over her eyes, smiled and him, and turned away.  
Crossing the mains gates, minutes later, Heather noticed she had been almost running. She stopped there and looked back and something inside felt disappointed to see Severus was not following her. Breathing out heavily and judging herself for feeling that way, Heather reached into a pocket in her coat and fished out a pack of cigarettes, lightening one up. A week without cigarettes had made her tense and the first drag already started to relief her. She walked again, slowly now, along the road, alone and thoughtful.   
Everything had completely changed in about two weeks. Before, she had been in New York, still trying to figure of her plans would work out. In two weeks, they had worked out, she had left her country, faced Hogsmeade and saw the Castle on the background, found a job, sang and met that man.  
He had come back the night after. And two nights after that. And twice more during the week. And on the two days of the weekend before classes started. They had been together for so many nights, done so many intimate things together, and yet they hadn’t talked about themselves. She didn’t know him. All she knew was what her colleagues had told her about him, except for those nights of… Nights of what? How could she name them? Lust, passion, love?  
Don’t even think of that word, Heather Sarah.  
She didn’t regret not having told him she was about to start school. There was no way she could have known he would be one of her teachers, and she hadn’t even stopped to imagine what was his profession. He had been treated like anyone else she had known in her life: to get to know everything about her life, they had to deserve it. No one had even deserved it. The man, except for the fact that he had fitted so perfectly with her it was a shock – and not just physically – could come to deserve it someday, but Heather never wanted to take a chance. In their last Saturday, she had told him she was leaving, that it was great to meet him, but goodbye. Something inside her didn’t like it at all, but her head was the boss, not that little ache that made home somewhere in her chest seeing him leave.  
The next day, though, she had came across him at the High Table, those same eyes, now astonished, staring at her. What did that mean? Why would Merlin do something like that to her? Didn’t she have enough to deal with in her life yet? She was there now to try and fix up her life, not to find even more trouble.  
Even though it was difficult to call that man, with those eyes and that voice, and the electric feeling on her skin every time he touched her trouble.  
Heather shook her head forcefully, trying to make those thoughts fall from her mind. She was already at the main street of Hogsmeade. Looking around and making the last of her cigarette disappear, she chose the Three Broomsticks, the pub she hadn’t been to yet, as she still had a few hours to kill.  
Walking in, she chose a small table at the end of the bar and ordered a beer – not buttered. She sat alone, as she was used to do, and stared around the bar, trying to enjoy her afternoon. The observed when a group of people entered the pub and the place agitated immediately. The bar owner, a pretty, elegant blonde woman who was behind the counter, was delighted with their arrival and went over to hug each one of them. Some people around also went to talk to them and shake their hands, and after a while they were able to take a table in the middle of the room, not far from Heather’s. They were four people and she noticed they were two couples. Bringing them drinks, the bar owner talked to them for a while before leaving them alone.  
Heather’s attention was once again turned to the door, when it opened and Professor Snape walked in. She tried to sink on the table, taking her beer class and taking a sip, hiding her face behind it, but it was no use. Snape looked around and saw her in a second. Heather lowered her glass and their eyes met. What the hell if my problem with those eyes? Snape crossed the bar not looking around once and approached her table.  
“Miss Sebastian”, she said standing by her side and looking down at her  
Heather leaned her back on the chair, looking up. “Professor Snape. Enjoying your Saturday?”  
“This is not a Hogsmeade weekend for Hogwarts students”, he pointed out.  
“As if I’m a regular student!”, she laughed and corrected herself immediately. “Sir. I am authorized to leave the Castle whenever I have free time, at any day”.  
Snape raised an eyebrow, staring down at her, but before he could say something, those people on the other table laughed aloud and Heather looked at them.  
“Who are they?”, she asked. “Are they famous or something?”  
Snape turned his head to see who she was talking about and turned again to Heather. He took a deep breath and rolled his eyes, trying to summon some patience.  
“If you excuse me for a moment”.  
The turned his back and walked towards that table. Seeing him approach, its occupant got up.  
“Professor Snape!”, one of them said, taking his hand  
The professor shook hands with the four of them, and Heather saw they smiled a lot up at him, but Snape didn’t. They talked for a few moments, until Snape excused himself and left them, returning to Heather’s table.  
“What was that?”, she asked when he stood by her again  
“One of them killed Voldemort and the others helped”.  
“Oh. I don’t know that story”.  
“You don’t?”  
“No, I’ve heard about it, of course, but not much. I’ve heard about you, too”.  
Snape stared at her in silence for a few seconds before saying “That’s not what I want to talk to you about”.  
“Oh, I know”, she said taking her eyes away from his and drinking from her glass  
“Let’s talk somewhere else”  
“I’m going to work in a while. At Burn”.  
Snape just looked at her expressionless for a moment, and then his eyebrows came together. His eyes looked different now, may offended, angry?  
“You told me you were leaving”, he said in a low, deep voice.  
Heather felt her stomach sink; now realizing what he had heard.  
“I was going to Hogwarts”, she tried  
“You indented to keep the job at the bar. You lied”.  
Heather opened her mouth to speak a couple of time before being able to articulate words. “Mr. Grey hadn’t offered me to keep the job yet, it was temporary. I didn’t lie”.  
“You are lying now”, he said and placed his hands on the table, palms down, leaning down to her until their faces were in the same level. Heather tried to withdraw, but she was already glued in her chair. “You had the intention to be around here, and you lied saying you were leaving. Tell me the truth”.  
Heather tried to hold his look without seeming effected. She thought about everything she would like to say, the truth about her saying goodbye even if she knew she would still be in Hogsmeade, but that little ache in her chest made her stop. Her eyes still locked on his, she breathed in before speaking again.  
“I don’t wanna say it”.  
Severus searched her eyes for a moment and said nothing else. He straightened up and looked down at her for one more moment before turning around and leaving the bar without a word. Breathing out the air she had been holding, Heather brought her hands to her hair, snorting. Her beer class was magically refilled and the drank big gulps of it. Placing it again at the table, she noticed those four people professor Snape had talked to were staring curiously at her. Unaffected, Heather remained at her table only enough time to finish her drink and then left, never looking again at those strangers.  
* * *

August 27th 

Heather came downstairs and found the bar empty, chairs turned over the tables, except for th one where Mr. Grey sat facing papers and doing some math. She was wearing jeans, snickers and a large t-shirt, her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she was wearing her black framed big glasses.  
“Good morning, Mr. Grey”  
“Good morning, Heather!”, the old man said smiling at her. “Lunch is almost ready; my daughter is at the kitchen finishing it right now”.  
“Oh, thank you, I’ll say yes to that. I skipped breakfast”.  
“Last night was a success!”, Mr. Grey said returning to his papers. “A success! The bar was filled up, I hadn’t seen it like that for a long time!”.  
“Well, I’m glad”.  
“And you should be! I’ll never understand how I had never thought about hiring a pretty girl with the voice of an angel to sing here! A success!”  
Smiling shyly, Heather told him she’d let him work and chose a table away from him. In a few minutes, Mr. Grey’s daughter brought her lunch and Heather ate alone. It was a week day and she wouldn’t sing, so she had some free time now, to sleep in, walk around the village and drink whenever she wanted. She thought about what she really wanted to do now, or who she wanted to do now, she found her mind again on him, the man who she had been with during the weekend, who hadn’t shown up again for three days already. It was clear she’d never see him again.  
Contrary to any odds, the door opened right then and Heather saw Severus walk in. Her fork full of food froze midair.  
“Severus, my friend!”, said Mr. Grey at his entrance. “I’m sorry, the bar’s still not opened, but if you want—“  
“— Don’t worry, Mr. Grey”, Heather heard his delicious voice. “I’m here to see”, he said looking around and finding her staring at him. “Heather”.  
Mr. Grey just gave him a knowing smile and respectfully returned to his work. Remembering to move, Heather lowered her fork back to the place and reached out for her wine glass, feeling her mouth suddenly dry. Severus sat across the table and seemed about to say something, but he stopped staring at her.  
“You look beautiful”, eh finally said.  
Heather looked down at herself to be sure he was really talking to her. She looked completely different from what she did when they met, big classed in her face, hair sloppily tied up.  
“Really”, he said understanding what she was thinking. “More natural”.  
Heather smiled, a little shy. “Thank you. Hi.  
“Hello”, he answered.  
Heather looked at him in silence and noticed Severus didn’t seem to know what to say now he was there. He was different now from the man she had met on the weekend, mysterious and sure of himself. It was another situation now. It was day, the bar was empty, she was not prepared for the night.  
“I apologize for interrupting your lunch”, he started again. “I came here to invite you for exactly that”.  
“You were going to invite me for lunch?”  
“Yes, or… For tea”.  
“I’m a coffee person”.  
“That can be arranged”.  
“I was already finished”.  
“Do you have plans for this afternoon?”  
“Yes. I need to go to Diagon Alley to buy some stuff. But I guess I can do it later or tomorrow”.  
She didn’t eat anymore, just finished her glass of wine and got up, mimicked by Severus. Heather got a little confused as how to act now, but decided to leave it be. Looking at his eyes, she slid her hand on his and held it starting to walk towards the stairs. Once again, Severus saw himself being let by her upstairs and into her bedroom.  
When she closed the door behind them, Severus reached up and took off her glasses, making it float to the nightstand. They looked at each other for a few seconds in silence, until the moment when Heather closed her eyes and threw herself onto him, their lips meeting urgently and her arms holding on to his neck. Not allowing surprise to restrain his actions, Severus held her tightly and returned her kiss, walking her blindly to the bed. She fell on her back pulling him with her.  
There was an urgency shared by the two of them, like three days apart, even after being together for only a weekend, was too much to handle. They kissed urgently taking off each other’s clothes and kissing every patch of skin that was revealed. They they were both naked, neither wanted to delay the moment. Severus held himself, found her entrance and held her waist firmly, entering her in one slow, continuous movement. They moaned aloud together and didn’t move, their breather shallow, eyes locked. Heather moved her hips, urging him to move inside her, but Severus held her on place.  
“Wait”, he whispered. “Let me feel you”.  
Her held her thighs and rested them on his, making their contact even deeper and a moan escape Heather’s throat. He kissed her, his tongue leisurely roaming along with hers, and kiss by kiss he lowered and found her breasts. He remained still inside her, feeling her nipples get impossibly hard while he suckled at them.  
“Severus”, she cried. “Severus, please…”  
He looked at her again, brushing his lips against hers. “What… Tell me, Heather”.  
“I want… You… Moving inside me. Please, Severus, I need… You”.  
A deep moan escaped him, as is he had just felt the biggest physical pleasure of his life. His eyes rolled back and closed before he kissed her again and held her tightly on her back before withdrawing almost completely and entering again, firmly and continuously. She cried on his kiss and felt him quickly find a rhythm in and out of her, their wet bodies clapping together. He moved slowly but continuously, feeling every hot, wet inch inside of her, and knew she had surrendered under him, her nails digging into the skin of his back and her teeth meet his neck. He moaned aloud when she gently bit him, and she smiled inside, delighted to taste the salt and feel the smell of him. He moved faster now, his impossibly hard shaft meeting the most sensible places inside her.  
“Oh, Severus, yes!”, she cried on his neck. “Make me come! Yes, I’m gonna come!”  
Rising on his knees, Severus held her hips and pounded on her, groaning at every slap of their bodies. He saw her expression change when she lost her voice and breath, her head thrown back buried on the pillow.  
“Yes… Come”, he said recognizing it. “Come for me”.  
Before Heather could come down from her orgasm, Severus lost control. Her dripping walls clenching around him brought him quickly to his own release and he pounded once more, forcefully inside her and came strongly and deep inside her body, his shaft throbbing and his head dizzy. He came for a long moment, holding her tightly. He head incoherent moans on the room, only to understand they were his own. Heather, already able to breathe again, looked up smiling at him, feeling him fill her insides with his release. When Severus opened his eyes again, small dots of light before his eyes, he looked down and stared at her smiling, flushed face.  
It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  
“It’s amazing to watch you come”, she said  
Finally loosing every strength, Severus let himself fall over her body, his elbows stopping him from crushing her, and rested his head on her chest. Heather’s hands found his hair and neck, and she caressed him. For a long time they were like this, breaths returning to normal, his softening penis sliding out of her, their hearts slowing down.  
“I thought I wasn’t going to see you again”, she said  
“That would be impossible. I wanted to see you again”.  
“I did too…”, Heather admitted, closing her eyes to smell the top of his head  
“I know nothing about you”, he said, kissing the skin between her breasts.  
Heather was silent for a long moment, hands roaming through his scalp, staring at the ceiling.  
“There’s not much to tell about me”.


	4. The bravest man we've ever known

Chapter 4 – The bravest man we've ever known

September 7th

Memories flooded Heather’s mind when she walked into Burn. She small stage and het bench were there, a weak light above it, and in the bar all the chairs were turned upon the tables. Mr. Grey’s daughter was there, mopping the floor, and indicated Heather that the keys to her room were on the counter. She climbed the stairs and entered the same room she had lived in before staring school.  
Closing the door behind her, Heather stood there for a moment, looking at the bed. She could practically see herself there, lying under Severus while he made her see stars, the sound of their breaths and moans still clinging in the air. Something tighten up inside her chest and she took a deep breath, trying to make those thoughts go away.  
She took out her wand and a tiny package from a pocket. Placing it on the bed, Heather touched her want to it, and it turned to a bag full of clothes. Opening the zipper, she took out a dress, a pantyhose, a high heel pair of shoes and her lingerie. With them all placed on a chair, she entered the bathroom and turned on the shower before taking off her clothes, letting her hair down and taking off her glasses. She felt the hot water going down her body and once again tried not to think of him. What did he do to me? Heather was not used to keep thinking of men, she never had this kind of futile thoughts. There were so many more important things to think about and to do in her life, and she never allowed herself to think of anybody for such a long time. It had been three weeks now. Three weeks and I’m still thinking of him. What the fuck?  
Heather took a long time under the shower, forcing her mind to wander around other things; het set list for the night, things she had to do the next day, her classes, the advanced courses she was taking, how much she needed to focus to have perfect grades and be allowed to take her NEWTs even in the sixth year, the Transfigurations class, the Potions class, the Defense class… The Defense professor, the Defense professor’s voice, his hands, his mouth, his tongue…  
“Enough, Heather Sarah!”, she said aloud  
Angrily leaving the shower now, she rubbed her hair forcefully with a towel. Professor! He is your professor! It doesn’t matter what happened before, this is what he is now! What if the matter with you! Be a man!  
Dried up now, she placed the towel around her and left the bathroom.  
Severus was sitting on the bed. His legs extended over the mattress, crossed at the ankles, hands behind his head on the headboard. Heather froze in place at seeing him, unable to change her expression or say a word. Slowly, Severus got up, always looking at her eyes, and walked towards her until he stood dangerously close.  
“I made a promise to myself years ago”, Seveurs started pronouncing slowly every word. “I promised there would be no more lies in my life. I promised I wouldn’t lie, and I promised I would never again accept that anyone would lie to me. I want the truth, any truth. Tell me, Heather”.  
“I got scared of the feeling I was starting to have for you”.  
Her eyes opened wider now at the surprise of her own words. She hadn’t thought of them, there were no intentions of saying that, but the truth simply floated out of her lips and now it hang there, between their bodies, filling the silence. Severus expression changed subtlety, no more danger inside his eyes, Heather couldn’t say anything else; she had told him she had gotten scared, but now she was feeling that even more. Her breathing came faster now and she decided just to wait. After a few seconds looking at her eyes, Severus took one slow step, the last one separating them, and their bodies almost touched. He reached up and touched her face, sliding softly his hand to the nape of her neck, and then leaned down to brush lightly his lips to hers. A voice inside Heather’s mind screamed that she should stop it right now.  
It was too easy to ignore that voice.  
Slowly, Heather raised her arms and crossed then at Severus’ shoulders, feeling him holding her waist. Severus bent his knees a little to join her in a perfect embrace. Moving her lips apart with his own, Severus involved their tongues and heard Heather sigh quietly. They held on to each other and kissed for a long time, not noticing the minutes go by. Severus grabbed the towel on her back and pulled it, making the soft fabric slide from her body and be tossed away. Heather saw herself naked, embraced and given to him. Never leaving his lips, she fumbled to his buttons, undoing them, while he still held her tightly with one hand and the other slid on her skin to find her breast.  
Tossing his shirt away, Heather held on to him urgently, feeling the heat of his skin under her hands, pressing against her chest and now under her lips and she fervently kissed Severus’ neck. She felt him shiver and saw goose pumps break on his skin. He let her regale on his skin, his own breath coming faster now. Groaning when he felt her teeth nibble on him, he held her strongly by the waist and lifted her with ease, walking forward to the window frame, where he sat her on the parapet. She looked up at him, the sitting position making her head just a little lower than his, and saw him breathlessly lean over and kiss her again. Heather grabbed his hair and still held it while he lowered his wet, open mouthed kisses to her neck, shoulder, collarbone, until he hungrily took a nipple into his mouth, one hand clinging into the other. Heather moaned aloud and arched herself towards him. She stared down at him, seeing his face all over her, her nipple between his lips and teeth, his eyes closed and an awed expression. Heather raised her legs and scrubbed her feet up and down the back of his thighs, her knees sliding upon his hips.  
His mouth dancing from a breast to the other, Severus slid one hand down her body and found its place between her legs. Heather instinctively opened her legs further, feeling his two fingers find their path between her folds and enter her. She moaned again, letting her head fall back into the closed curtains, and almost complained when she felt his mouth leave her left breast, but a second later Severus was kneeling in front of her, his kissed joining his fingers on her labia.   
“Oh, Severus…”, she moaned and he looked up at her, mouth still connected to her. “Yes, oh, that’s so good… You know it. You know how I like it”.  
He knew. Gently sucking her clit between his lips, he slid two fingers in and out of her wet body, eyes now locked into hers. Her mouth gapped, breathlessly silent, she looked at him, his lips and his tongue travelling on her, and felt the heat come higher rather quickly. She felt the urge to rock against his face, but when a third fingers touched her tighter hole, she gasped in pleasure an closed her eyes, head falling back again. Severus sucked her and forced his fingers on her both entrances urgently now, and she felt and heard him groan on her. Screaming his name, Heather felt breath abandon her and lost her ability to make any sound as she came on his lips. Silent, her body clenched down on his fingers and her body thrashed vigorously, a hand painfully grabbing his hair and scratching his scalp. He didn’t stop, though, keeping his mouth on her until she breather again and cried out, coming down from her orgasm.  
Unable to restrain himself, Severus got up and opened his trousers, taking them off quickly as Heather recovered. When she opened her eyes, she saw him holding his erect cock, getting it closer to her. She licked her lips on the sight of it and Severus rubbed his head against her soaked folds. He looked up at her eyes, his mouth opened in anticipation as he found her entrance. Holding her waist with a firm grip, he forced himself inside her, one long, slow but continuous movement. Her body opened to him and they connected with a loud moan they shared.  
Urgency quickly grew. Severus kissed her hungrily and she tasted herself on him, while he entered her, pounding faster by the minute. Clinging to her waist, Severus moaned and breather through his teeth, given to the moment, and between kissed Heather looked at him, admired at how undone a serious, austere man could become with her. Pushing her forwarde until her his was higher and nearly out of the parapet, Severus forced himself strongly now, the wet sound of their bodies mixing with their cries. He reached one of his hands t where their bodies met and stroked her wet clit, making Heather scream at the feeling. Seeing her close her eyes and forget how to hold her head upright, Severus took and handful of her hair and made her look at him again.  
He saw a second orgasm approach her, her mouth gapped and her eyes shining, silently screaming and looking into his eyes. Her soaked walls clenched into him and he was undone, unable to hold it anymore. He forced himself into her even strongly now, and screamed some nonsensical words and he pounded violently into her one more time and exploded his release. He felt he was filling her up inside for many seconds of a spectacular orgasm.  
Heather held on to him strongly when she was able to breathe again, with her arms and legs, burying her face on his chest. Severus held her again with ease and carried her to bed, their bodied still connected. He sat down and let himself fall back on the mattress, Heather nesting above him. Their bodies slowly recovered, heartbeats and breaths normalizing as one. His slid naturally out of her, their fluids dripping out of her body, and Heather made herself comfortable over his chest. They both fell asleep immediately.  
When she opened her eyes again the bedroom was darker, announcing the night was approaching. She moved slightly on his chest, felt his smell and held him tighter. Her mind tried to wander around everything that could go wrong from now on, but Heather chose not to listen. It was done, and it had been amazing. She felt Severus hand slowly rub her hack and knew he was also awake,  
“Are we insane?”, she whispered and heard him chuckle before answering.  
“Yes, we are”.  
They went silent again, his hand roaming on her back and the smell of her hair inebriating him. Heather wanted to stay there, not moving, for as long as she could. Any movement would bring her back to reality.  
“I still don’t really believe you are a student. How is that possible?”  
Silently, Heather moved away from him. In a few words, He had made reality bang her in the head, even if she hand’t moved. She lay her head in the pillow and stared at the ceiling.  
“I fled my parent’s house when I was sixteen and they stopped paying for my school. I’ve been working all this time to be able to finish school on my own”.  
Not pausing after speaking, heather sat up, legs hanging out of the bed, hands on her sided and head down. Behind her, Severus raised up on one elbow and looked at her back and profile.  
“You paid for school yourself? How?”  
“By working my ass off”, she said sharply and paused. “Just like I have to do now”.  
She tried to get up, but Severus reached out and gently held her arm. She sat again but didn’t look at him.  
“Heather”, he said sitting up behind her. “If you don’t want to tell me anything about you, which I know very well it’s the case, you don’t have to. I know how that feels, believe me or not. But do believe me in one thing: keeping secrets and holding on to mysteries is extremely overrated. And I know it’s still early and that you have at least two more hours before going on stage. Come back to bed”.  
Still silent, Heather let Severus pull her down to his chest again, and he resumed his caress to her back. The breather out and closed her eyes.  
“I’m sorry for being harsh”.  
“It’s alright”, he said quietly. “It seems to be something serious for you. If you wish, I won’t insist anymore”.  
“Thank you”.   
* * *  
September 10th

“Professor Binns was of no help”, Heather said to her young colleagues at dinner. “I asked him about the war and he only talked about dates, numbers and names, and that was it. The classroom was full of people who did know the story, and I didn’t want to make him repeat things everybody already knew. The thing is I still know too little about it and everyone talks about it. So, help me”.  
Davon, Sandra and Emilia had been there during the war, which had been ended only three years before. They, as well as most of the students in the Great Hall now, had lived and studied at Hogwarts when it was taken. There was no one better to tell the story. The three teenagers started to narrate it from the beginning, since the first was and the original formation of the Order of the Phoenix. When they were done eating, Heather walked back to Ravenclaw common room with them and they settled on the couches and armchairs to keep talking. A few more students joined them to tell her everything about the war. They talked about the first war, the Prophecy, James and Lily Potter’s death, the calm years in between, Harry Potter’s arrival to the school and how strange things started to happen again after that, Voldemort’s return to life at the final of the Triwizard Tournament and detail about the final years of the war.  
Hours had passed. Heather barely spoke, shocked with the events her colleagues were telling her, and astonished that the American magical community had heard and participated so little. She was sure their government must have know how bad things were, and couldn’t understand why help was not sent. If I had known, she thought, I’d have come here to participate. It’s not like there was anything holding me back in America.  
“My parents didn’t let me come back to Hogwarts”, Davon said. “After Dumbledore died and Snape became Headmaster, that it. I was supposed to have graduated last year, but I didn’t come to school that year. Everybody knew how things were going to be here, they knew every student would be exposed to danger. Death Eaters were inside, and my parents knew it would be even worse for half-bloods like me. And worse… To homosexual half-bloods, like me”.  
He looked down swallowing hard now; it seemed to be difficult for him to talk about it. Heather understood everybody knew about his sexuality, but he rarely talked about it. Sandra touched his shoulder and squeezed for a moment in a sign of support.  
“Then I didn’t come, but the girls did”, he said pointing at Sandra and Emily  
“We didn’t have any real problems, because we’re both ‘purebloods’”, Sandra said making a quite signs and a disgusted grimace. “But the horrors were there. Half-bloods and muggle-borns were constantly harassed and there were even tortures”.  
“But either way, we all know it all could have been much, much worse if Professor Snape hadn’t been Headmaster”, Emily added. “By the time no one knew, but he was acting under Dumbledore’s orders and was loyal to him. He was here and he took the responsibility and protected the student as much as he could. I am very sure that if it hadn’t been for him, things would have been out of control. People would have died, I’m sure”.  
They continued narrating Horcruxes, Deathly Hollows and the Final Battle, how Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione granger had entered the castle to find and destroy a Horcrux, faces Snape, whom escaped to join Voldemort and the Battle started. Heather didn’t know, but her eyes were wide and her mouth gapped.  
“Until the very last second”, Devon said. “Potter told everybody what he saw at the Shrieking Shack, how Snape lied to Voldemort guaranteeing him that the wand was his and trying to find a way to kill the snake, but ended up being attacked by her himself”.  
“And he did it not even knowing that Potter was listening. You know? I admire him very much for that”, Sandra said. “Then when Voldemort left the Shack, leaving Snape to die, Potter and the other went for him and Snape gave them a memory, to show them all the truth about his loyalties and the key to end the war. And then he kind of died. They thought he was dead and left him there, and then Potter saw the memories. We’ve told you that already”.  
“Yeah, about why he left Voldemort and joined the Order, about Lily Potter and the fact that Potter himself had to die, or sort of die, so he’d be able to kill Voldemort”, Emily completed  
They kept going with the story, about the supposed death of Potter and how he came back, how Londbotton killed the snake and then, finally, Voldemort’s death. It had been very difficult to celebrate the end, seeing that so many good people had died during the war and the Final Battle. Snape’s body had been rescued, to only then be found still with vital signs. He had been taken to the hospital and kept to recover in a wing reserved to Death Eathers recovering before being sent to Azkaban. He spent a few months there, unconscious and recovering very slowly. During those months, Potter had fought to prove his innocence and all the truth about his part on the war, and when finally Professor Snape had recovered, he was already a free man.  
“The first year after the war was hard and dedicated to recovering”, said Davon. “Classes were resumed, every student who had left Hogwarts came back, me included, and even Hermione Granger came back. There was grief and pain, but slowly things started to go back to normal. The Ministry awarded the war heroes. Potter and Snape were the only ones to get an Order of Merlin, first class. An then, after that first year, Snape accepted the job as Defense teacher”.  
“And that’s it”, Sandra smiled  
Heather stared at each of them in silence and gapping, They laughed at her.  
“Wow”, she finally said. “Wow!”  
“Wow indeed”, Emily agreed.  
After a while longer, they noticed they were long time past curfew, and Emily borrowed Heather a pillow and a blanket, and Heather made herself comfortable on a couch. She remained awake for a long time, thinking about everything she knew about Severus now. Somehow, she was glad to only have found those things about him now. She didn’t want it to look like it was only because he was a war hero that she had been feeling…  
Feeling what, Heather Sarah?


	5. Not enough

Chapter 5 – Not Enough

August 29th

Holding a coffee paper cup, Heather sat at a bench in a Hogsmeade sidewalk, bathing in the Sun, eyes closed under her sunglasses. She had seen the tall, dark figure of Severus walking up the street, several feet away from her. She smiled to herself and remained where she was, caffeine working to wake her up and the Sun warm in her skin.  
“You’d better enjoy the hot weather. Autumn arrives in a few weeks”, she heard Severus’ voice ad he sat by her side  
Heather smiled in the midst of a gulp of coffee. “That’s no hot weather. Apparently you haven’t been to California in the summer”.  
“No, I haven’t been to California in the summer”, he answered and reached for her coffee and taking a sip. Heather smiled a little to this intimacy gesture. “So that is where you come from”, he said giving her the cup back,  
Heather looked towards the street again and took a few moments to answer, using her coffee as an excuse for the silence. “No. Not exactly there. New York was my last lodging”  
“A wanderer?”  
“Almost”, she smiled and looked at hom again. “But I don’t want to talk about it”.  
“Of course you don’t. You never do”.  
“Neither do you. We’re fine like that, aren’t we?”  
“Yes. For now”.  
“For now”, she repeated. “I believe that knowing a person might me much more that knowing their history. It’s obviously important, but it’s not everything”.  
“Can I deduce then that you believe you know me already?”, Severus said resting his arm on the bench behind Heather and facing her  
“Yes. A few things, I do”.  
“Indeed? Like what?”  
“Your favorite color is black”, she said and saw him snort at how obviously that sentence was, but she moved on. “You like a cup of black coffee as soon as you wake up, even before breakfast. You can’t sleep without brushing your teeth, nor when you’re not lying sideways. You only snore when you’re lying on your back. You get goosebumps with caresses you your back and you have a ticklish ribcage. Your favorite firewhiskey is Odgen’s, you drink it with a single ice rock. You enjoy blues and jazz. Your soft spot is your neck. You shower with burning hot water. Your perfume has a hint of patchouli, but not too much. You hold yourself not to smile too much, but I’ve seen you smile plenty of times in bed”, she paused, breathing slowly and staring at his lips and then slowly back to his eyes. Speaking again, her voice was little more than a whisper. “You have the most delicious voice in this world. You have this mysterious, deep countenance, and you have no idea how damn sexy it is. You speak little… But you moan loudly”.  
When she stopped talking and leaned back on the bench, smiling up at him as if she had said nothing, Severus noticed his mouth was gapping and closed it with a little noise.  
“You know all of that about me after spending two nights?”  
“Two nights and two mornings. That’s something. Of course women are more thorough than men, and I do have a natural talent for that. Two nights and two mornings must not have been enough for you to know too much about me, though”.  
“You don’t think I can thorough as well? So just listen: you feel every single word that you’re singing. Sometimes you smile, other your eyes shine, and one can tell when something on the lyric means something to you. You like to wear muggle clothing, and they look great on you. You drink your whiskey with ice on a tall glass; you don’t like sweet tasting drinks. You smell like cinnamon and honey, although I don’t think you wear a perfume. You accent of so completely different than mine, that it is amazingly sexy. Your eyes are even bluer in the morning, right after you wake up. You know you have this beautiful singing voice, but you have no idea how great it also sounds when you’re speaking; not to mention moaning”. They were very close now, not knowing how they’d got there, and Severus voice was low and silky, for her ears only. “Your entire back is your soft spot and you chill all over when I kiss you there. Your eyes roll back on their own accord when something feels really good. You stop breathing and go absolutely silent when you’re coming”.  
When he finished, his eyes travelled from hers to her mouth, and he felt her breathing come shallow. A strong, obvious sexual energy floated between them, and it was more than welcome. Heather turned around suddenly, making the paper cup disappear with a hand gesture, and got up, pulling his hand with hers.  
“Come with me”.  
“Where are we going?”, Severus asked rising from the bench  
“I need proofs that I do go silent”.  
* * *  
September 11th

Heather would have a free time after lunch, while her colleagues left the table to have their classes. Getting up slowly, she replaced the books that were forming a pile on the table – she and the other girls had been doing revision over lunch –, threw her backpack over one shoulder and, standing up, finished her orange juice. Placing the now empty goblet on the table, she looked at the mains doors and saw him. Severus was standing there, staring cautiously around the nearly empty Great Hall and then directly at Heather. The lowered his head a little, eyes still locked with hers. Come with me, she understood. He turned around and left.  
Outside the Great Hall, Heather saw him walking up the stairs, black robes billowing dramatically behind him. She climbed the stairs after him, turning left and finding the moving stairs; none of them moved while they moved up them, several meters separating. When they passed by the third floor, Heather imagined if he would enter the corridor and the leaking pot portrait, but he kept climbing the stairs.  
Besides, Heather was just walking towards the library, where she had planned to go after lunch to spend some time studying. If Professor Snape was heading the same direction, it was just a coincidence. Of course.  
Severus entered the corridor of the fourth floor and Heather was relieved to still have a reason to follow him; the library was that way. At the very first door of that corridor, though, the professor stopped and opened it, looking towards Heather for a quick moment before entering. Several steps after him, Heather walked slowed now, passed by a group of students who were leaving the library, and walked past the door. When the students disappeared, she returned quickly, opened the door, entered and closed it in a second.  
When he saw her close the door, Severus gestured largely with his wand and the door clicked locked, at the same time walking towards her with long steps. Heather had no time to know where she was or look at Severus before he reached for her, held her by the nape of the neck and pulled her to him, an arm rounding her back and his lips meeting hers. Startled, Heather took no more than a second to return his kiss, clinging to him with the same intensity. Suddenly the stone wall was at her back, but she didn’t remember being pushed there. His long, black cloak, the one that scared so the students, now wrapped sensually around their bodies.  
“I was really going to the library!”, she said breathlessly on his lips  
“Ok”, he dismissed and kissed her again  
Heather knew very well that when it came to that man, control was something intangible; and she didn’t even want that. He was kissing her hungrily, like they hadn’t been together for a very long time, as if he had been waiting for that moment, that kiss ever since their last one, as if he’d been feeling… Like he’s been feeling like I am.  
Whey their lips parted, Heather couldn’t help but complaining with a quiet moan. He looked at her, still holding her close. His eyes roamed from the sparkling blue, eyes to the red, swollen lips of the breathless woman in front of him.  
“Heather…”, he whispered  
“Severus… We’re at school”, she said what the most hidden part of her brain had been screaming at her  
“I know”, he said taking a reluctant step back, separating their bodies. “I told you one you are irresistible”  
She smiled and brought her hands to her hair, trying to straighten it. “We always have the weekends”, she said and came close to him again, reaching for his chin. Going up on her toes, she lightly touched her lips to hers. “I’ll see you later”, she said and slowly roamed the tip of her tongue between his separated lips, “…Professor”.  
* * *  
The afternoon dragged itself in very long hours. Heather could not stop thinking about him. That hidden, forbidden kiss inside and empty classroom seemed to be still on her lips, and a constant shiver somewhere low in her abdomen nearly took her every control. I don’t think I can wait for the weekend.  
The last class was in the dungeons. Potions was one of Heather’s favorite classes, but it was still challenging. Professor Slughorn was a very lovely old man, and one could tell how much he knew about that subject, but his teaching methods didn’t seem to be as good as his talent. He overlooked too many mistakes his students made in class, which he considered unimportant and just moved on with the class, not going deeper and not paying special attention to students in trouble. Several times, Heather found herself on the library, researching something he had taught in class, to be able to really understand it.  
She sat with Emily by the double bench, second row of desks, close to the front. She placed her book and notebook on the desk and, before she could even talk to her colleague, the dungeon door was brusquely opened. She looked back expecting to see the smiling old professor Slughorn, but who entered the classroom with long strides and billowing robes, was the man who had been messing up with her senses, the one who had hungrily kissed her against a wall hours ago.  
Professor Snape walked quickly through the corridor of desks and stood in front of the class. “Professor Slughorn has requested me to take on this class due to a minor health issue”.  
“Oh, sweet Merlin”, Emily whispered. “Potions with Snape again”.  
Heather had taken the habit of psychologically preparing herself before her weekly classes with professor Snape. She would take a deep breath and focus, even if nobody noticed, and she could even control the chills she felt all over her spine when she heard his voice for the first time each class. Today, though, she was caught unguarded. Snape didn’t look at her directly when his eyes covered the entire class before informing that he would use that time to revise the first potions of the year, the ones that had been taught on the first weeks of the term, so he wouldn’t interfere on Professor Slughorn’s course. Snape spent the first half of the class asking questions about those potions and getting more irritated by the minute, for most of the students couldn’t answer them. Heather dared to speak very little, observing his temper rise, but her answers were always correct.  
On the second half of the class, the students moved to the cabinets along the classroom’s walls, from where they took their full cauldrons. Resting the heavy cauldron on top of her desk, Heather lifted her wand and took off the stasis charm, to then dip the tip of the want to its contents and murmuring a spell. The liquid turned to a milky color and she retrieved the wand, reaching for a metal spoon and starting to stir it clock-wise.  
The rest of the class was standing unmoving in front of their cauldrons. Emily looked at Heather trying to catch her attention, but she didn’t dare to speak to her under professor Snape’s gaze. While she calmly stirred her potion, not taking her eyes out of it, the professor walked slowly to her desk and stood in front of her. The entire classroom held their breaths.  
“Miss Sebastian”.  
Focused on the cauldron, Heather lifted her head quickly, started to see him so close. Their eyes met.  
“Yes, professor?”  
“Would you explain why are you working on your potion while the rest of the class is waiting for instructions?”  
Heather looked around with only her eyes, head still turned to him. “I didn’t want to wait for instructions to finish a potion that will take forty-five out of the remaining fifty minutes we have in class, sir”.  
“You didn’t want to wait for instructions? What level of mastery do you have in Potions, Miss Sebastian, to think you’re able to move on with this complex potion’s preparation, with no need for instructions?”  
“Professor Slughorn left the instruction on the board in the end of last class. He didn’t explain it, but I took the notes… Sir”.  
Snape looked at her for a few moments, a defiant expression in his eyes, before turning about and speaking to the class. “In a class with twenty students, nineteen are completely incapable of taking noted from a board? Get to work now!”  
* * *  
Heather’s potion was finished about tem minutes before everyone else’s. She filled up a vial with it and closed it with a cork, and then wrote the kind of potion, data of production and her own name, and attached it to the vial. Sitting on her chair, she rolled her neck and pressed the muscles on her shoulders, trying to release the tension that had installed itself there. When the rest of the classes finished their work, professor Snape ordered them to bring the vial to his desk and then leave.the class.  
“Do not leave”, Severus said in a quiet voice and Heather walked away slowly, not giving away any signs she had heard him.  
Back on her desk, where Emily was already throwing her back on her shoulder, Heather started look over her parchments, looking for something. She told her colleague that she was going to remain behind to clarify a few Potions doubts she had with professor Snape. Emily was about to have a separate class from Heather, so she left immediately. When the last student left the class, Heather saw the door slam closed on its own and a layer of shinny light pass over it quickly and disappear. She knew it had been silenced. When she turned around, she saw Snape walking slowly towards her.  
“Potions with professor Snape”, she started, smiling. “That was new for me”.  
“Interesting life, that of a professor”, she said smoothly standing in front of her. “I’ve been teaching in this institution for over twenty years. All of this time, I’ve had hundreds of female students, and for quite a few times I have noticed some kind of interest from them, to me. The mysterious, dark professor Snape”.  
While he talked, Severus touched her skirt, his fingers sliding down to finds it’s hem and lifting it a little, enough to touch the skin of her thigh. He slid his fingers back up now, featherlike on her skin, until he stopped dangerously close to her knickers.  
“But I have never, not even once in all of those years…”, his forefinger reached up and touched the underside of her knockers; he felt the heat there, “…I’ve even felt like doing this”.  
In a very quick movement, Severus pulled her knickers sideways and touched her, her warm, wet skin accepting him instantly and involving his fingers  
Heather moaned and forgot how to breath. Her legs separated immediately.  
“Never?”, she asked  
“Never”, he answered, sliding his fingers deeper and finding her moist entrance.  
“It’s an honor, professor”, she said looking into his eyes. “To be the only student to ever do that to you”.  
Severus reached his other hand to hold her by the nape of her neck while his fingers entered her. Heather involved him by the shoulders, afraid she’d loose balance at that feeling, and felt him pushing her backwards to her own desk. She sat on top of it and Severus stood between her knees. His fingers moved on her faster now, and she fought against the urge of crying out.  
“You are a problem, witch”, he whispered. “See what you’re doing to me?”  
Heather smiled breathlessly. “I see what you’re doing to me now, professor. And knowing you never did it to any other student… It’s hot”.  
“You think this is hot?”, he said and took het hand in his, guiding her until she touched his trousers. “Want to know what it does to me?”  
Heather bit her lip now, feeling a delicious, hard volume inside his pants, while his fingers still worked their way in and out of her body.  
“I want… Oh, your fingers are delicious, but I want more”.  
At her words, an unstoppable urgency took the two of them. Severus took his hand out of her and started working in his own belt and buttons, while Heather slid her knickers down her thighs and to the floor.  
“So wet for me”, he murmured coming close to her  
“Give me, Severus”, she whispered urgently.  
He held his length and rubbed it against her, her juices soaking him, her folds nearly pulling him inside. He found her entrance and rested his hands on the table, on both sides of her hips. His eyes fixing on hers, he pushed inside her in one long, firm movement. They moaned aloud as one and Severus felt her shiver around him. Descending his lips to hers, Severus kissed her hungrily as he withdrew and entered her again, feeling her wet walls contracting around his cock. Among kisses, Heather had her mouth gapped, eyes unfocussed, moaning wantonly. Severus held her his, his fingers digging into her skin under her skirt, and pounded into her, the wet noises of their bodies sounding deliciously like slaps in the dungeon. Not slowing down, Severus hands reached between their bodies, his thumb finding and rubbing against her wet nub. He saw in her eyes the orgasm approaching and smiled down at her.  
“I want to see you come”, he said. “Come for me, Heather… Yes, that’s it… Good girl. My good girl…”  
Her head falling violently back, Heather gave herself up and thrashed out of control, her mouth open in a silent scream. Severus held firmly her uncontrolled legs, trembling intensity at each pleasure wave. He still pounded into her, a little slower now, drunk on her wanton sigh and smell.  
“Yes, very good”, he said and licked his lips. “That was a good one”.  
“Severus”, she managed to speak. “You’re killing me”.  
He diced to let go; there was no delaying anymore. Her wet wall clenching around him drove him insane, and he pounded into her with abandon, his mouth covering hers, hands grabbing her tightly.  
“Oh, fuck, Heather!”, he cried out at a last forceful pound ad his release came out deep into her, three, four hot spurts filling her body up.  
They held on to each other, Severus face buried on Heather’s neck, feeling her hormonal scent, drinking on it. He tasted her skin, her seat and felt the perfume of her hair. Heather held him tightly, her hands grabbing the back of his teaching robes, her lags strongly wrapped around his waist. They waited until their breaths steadied and their limbs stopped trembling, but when it happened, they didn’t want to let go.  
Heather felt filled in with that hug and didn’t want to make any movement that would finish the moment. They spend minutes like that, clinging to each other and breathing each other in. She felt him soften and naturally slid out of her body, their mixed fluids oozing down their thighs, but neither of them cared. With his eyes closed, Severus felt her against his body and couldn’t understand what that felt like. His heart hadn’t back to normal like his breathing had. It was still beating fast.  
“Heather…”, he said caressing her hair and not knowing how he was going to finish his sentence  
“I know”.  
When he pushed back just enough to look at her, he saw her blue eyes shining wet. As soon as she noticed it, she closed them and looked down.  
“What is it?”, he asked softly and held her chin, making her look back at him. “Heather, what’s wrong?”  
“Nothing, I…”, she said looking down again, despite his hand in her chin. “That was… Ah, Severus…”, she sighed. “I need to go no my next class”.  
Heather lifted her wand and made a movement to clean them both. When she felt dry again, she got up and retrieved her knickers from the floor.  
“What if the matter with you?”, Severus asked zipping his trousers up. “Why don’t you talk to me?”  
“I do talk to you”, she said already with her knickers on and fixing her skirt. “I talk, I kiss, I have sex with you”, she said smiling up at him, but Severus felt that she was just trying to avoid something. “And it’s incredible. What else do we want, right?”  
She came up on her toes and kissed his lips quickly before nearly running out of the class, leaving an astonished Severus behind. He had done it himself to women before, never really meaning to cause them any distress and had felt bad for it later, but now he saw himself on the other side of the wand. He couldn’t understand why it bothered him. This had everything to be a perfect kind of relationship: amazing, delicious secret sex with no commitment.  
Then why wasn’t it enough?


	6. Her silence

Chapter 6 – Her Silence

September 12th

When the last class of the day was concluded, there was still Sun bathing the grassy grounds of the castle. Aware that that great weather would be over really soon, Heather convinced herself not to go to the library today, and instead go wandering through the grounds. She went to her quarters to leave the schoolbag and the uniform cloak, and left again wearing only the skirt with long socks and white shirt, her tie hanging loosely around her neck. She left though a side door and walked towards the Quiddich pitch. Before reaching the path that would lead her directly there, the entered a thin trail among a few trees. It was an almost deserted and silent place, tall spaced trees. After a while, Heather started walking along a small creek. After a few minutes, she found a big waterfall, which gurgling sound she had been hearing for a while now. The air was cool and fresh, the wet breeze caressing her face made her close her eyes and smile to herself.  
A large rock on the edge of the water made Heather a perfect seat. She took off her shoes and socks, placing them by her side, and slid carefully towards the water until she could submerge her feet. The water was extremely cold and she forced herself not to take them off, her entire body shivering. Slowly she got used to it and relaxed, looking around the waterfall and breathing deeply.  
Heather felt incredibly happy to be right there, at that moment. Were she came from, there rarely was a chance to be in the nature. She lived in the city, loud and polluted, and she didn’t really hate it, but to be now breath the purest air she had ever breath in her entire life, hearing the relaxing, gurgling sound of the water, made her see just how easily she could get used to it.  
She couldn’t hear the sound of Severus steps coming along the trail. He had seen her going to that general direction from his office window. Almost immediately, not really understanding why, he was going to the same direction, looking over his shoulders to make sure no one was watching. He stood several steps away from her, looking at her back, and remained there for a few moments. It was the perfect picture of peace; and that was something he was not used to. Seeing her sitting on the rock, her feet in the water, Severus asked himself why he didn’t go to that place often. You’re not used to peace, he explained himself.  
“Choosing solitude over friends company?”, he finally asked and started walking towards her again  
Heather opened her eyes and looked over her shoulders. He saw her smile and look back to the waterfall. “I’m not sure I can use this word, friends. Good schoolmates, yes, but not friends”. She said and saw Severus stand by the rock she was sitting in, a few meters away, also looking at the water. “Especially when the oldest of them is almost five years younger than me”.  
“Strange to hear that, especially from someone who’s been... Intimate… With someone almost twenty years older”  
Heather smiled, “An... Intimate... relation between two adults is different from friendships between teenagers and adults. The number of years doesn’t matter”:  
“Quite right”,  
They went silent for a few moments before Heather spoke again. “So, you’re a hero”.  
He looked at her with an raised eyebrow. “So finally this information got to you”.  
“It did. The version of it told by my colleagues, of course, unofficial, but I believe it’s a good one since they’ve been here all along”.  
“Don’t believe in everything you’ve heard”, Severus said, his voice colder. “I am not a hero”.  
“That’s not what the entire magical community of Great Britain believes”;  
“The magical community of Great Britain has heard a flourished, romanticized version told by Potter, and took it as the absolute truth”.  
Heather stared at him, “If it’s not true, why didn’t you deny it?”  
“My freedom depended on it, and the central fact of this whole story, the one that cleared my from the charges was, in fact, true”.  
“Which part?”, Heather asked, lifting her head out of the water and shaking them to make the drops fall. “About Dumbledore?”  
“Yes, about Dumbledore”, he said in a dry, cold tone, voice raised, that made Heather freeze in place and frown at him. He sounded like the man in the classroom, but not resentful and rude. “You know the story, do you not? How can you believe me a hero after doing that?”  
She got up and jumped from the rock to the earth ground, taking her shoes with her. “I believe it by knowing you had no way out of it and that it was a real brave act”, she said firmly. “And I do not care for that tone, please don’t use it with me”.  
“What do you think you know about it?”, he raised his voice even more. “What do you think you know about me?”  
“I thought I knew something, but I don’t any more”, she also raised her voice and turned to the rock to grab her socks. Nervous, he dropped on into the water and cursed. Annoyed, she turned to leave taking only one with her, and walked quickly towards the trail. Thinking again, she stopped just on the edge of the trees and turned back to him. “Don’t you dare to talk to me like that again, Severus. Here, now, you are not my teacher. You are that guy, and I refuse to be treated like that by that guy. It seems I really know nothing about you, and if this is how you react when you’re upset, that I’m not sure I want to know anything else”.  
She quickly disappeared barefoot thought the trees. Irritated and breathing shallowly, Severus cursed under his breath. Heather’s uniform sock slowly slidi on the surface of the water and the bent to retrieve it.  
Good job, greasy git. Way to scare a woman off.  
* * *  
August 29th

“Come with me”.  
“Where are we going?”  
\- Preciso comprovar essa informação sobre o meu silêncio.  
Severus took heather’s hand and they crossed the street and entered Burn. The owners were not there and they crossed the room in silence, climbed the stairs and went to her room. As soon as the door was locked, just as he had predicted, Heather launched herself onto his arms, her mouth findings his urgently. He granted her this kiss, his tongue meeting hers hungrily, but held her shoulders and made her stop after a few seconds.  
“Calm down”.  
He spoke with his velvet voice and cupper her face, making her look at him, his big hand sliding softly on her skin to hold her nape. He pulled her slowly towards him and placed a kiss on her forehead. “We’re not in a hurry”, he whispered.  
Placing a featherlike kiss on her cheek and slowly moving his lips over hers to find the other side. “Today I want you… All of you… All day long”  
He watched her roll her eyes back and close them, and softly kissed her closed eyelid. “And you, witch… Are just going to relax”.  
His hand on her nape grabbed her hair close to her scalp. Heather gasped in surprised and opened her eyes and he whispered “And I’ll show you a few things I know about you”  
She slowly opened her eyes trying to force herself to relax. What she really wanted now was to throw herself into his arms, feel the power and energy that emanated from him every time they touched; but he seemed to wish something else. Letting her arms hang on her sides and breathing deeply, Heather looked at him for a moment and closed her eyes again. Severus placed soft kisses all over her face, spreading them on her forehead, cheeks, neck, ears, and returning to her lips, kissing her slowly and languidly, carefully cupping her cheeks. Heather felt she could turn into a puddle any moment now, his featherlike kisses, the tip of his tongue roaming on her lips, his hands lightly touching her hair and hips. Lips never leaving her skin, Severus held her blouse and slowly moved it up. Heather lifted her arms above her head and he slid it out of her. He looked at her for a moment before taking her hand and walking her to bed, gesturing her to lie down. Looking down at her, Severus took out his wand and after a few gesture, the curtains were closed and the room lit with candles. Throwing his coat to the side and kicking off his shoes, Severus joined Heather in bed, standing above her on his fours, never touching. He leaned down and touched his lips to hers, tongue languidly caressing hers. Nibbling her lower lip finishing the kiss, he trailed to her neck, leisurely tasting her skin, her throat and collarbone, feeling the heat of her skin increase under his tongue, low moans coming from her lips. Still not touching her, he slid down to her chest and gestures the bra to pop open. She arched her back for him to take it out and relaxed again. Closing her eyes feeling her heart start to race. He trailed down to her breasts and she moaned aloud when his lips found a nipple and started lapping and suckling to it, but still he didn’t touch her with his hands. He moved to the other breast and she arched in bed, seeking more contact, but he still didn’t allow. She moaned louder and deeply when his teeth met his nipple, and with that he let go and kept his way down her body.  
A wet trail followed his kisses on her skin, going down her stomach and ribcage, making her skin stand in goose bumps. Feeling his lips move lower, Heather separated her thighs slightly, anxious for the contact where she now desired the most, lifting her hips towards him. Reaching her waistband, Severus sat on his heels and opened her buttons and zipper, then sliding her jeans down her legs. Smiling maliciously, Heather sat up and reached out for him, but Severus only held her shoulders and pushed her back to bed. Sighing resigned, Heather watched him curve onto her again, resuming his kissing to her belly and hips, and down he went, straight to her thighs. Heather moaned in protest, lifting her head to look desperately to him.  
“Such an impatient witch”, he purred, and orders, “Turn around”.  
Nothing in this world could make her not do whatever he told her at that moment. She turned, lying on her stomach, knowing Severus was still sitting between her legs. For a long moment he did nothing, didn’t move or touch her, but she could feel the delicious weight of his stare on her body. She felt him approach her skin again a moment before his mouth touched her nape. He felt her skin shiver and her entire body respond, contorting on bed.  
“Severus…”, she moaned  
His teeth met her skin and she lost it, hips thrusting up trying to meet his body, hands gripping the sheets. He really knows me. He knows what I like and does it like a master. I think I might come only with those bites and his voice…  
That was just perfect. Heather could think about other sexual experiences, very good ones, but she couldn’t think of anyone who had made her feel like that. That was just absurd. His touched migrated from feather like to one that verged violation, his voice hoarse in the aftermath when they shared a cigarette in bed, and easy talk, this stared that seemed to penetrate her… Heather thought about how, after him, no other men would ever be good enough, no other man could make her feel like that again. Not that she wanted. Gods, at the moment she wanted no other man in her life.  
And that was scary as hell. No, Heather Sarah, don’t go there. Don’t let it happen, you can’t… Oh… What is he doing?  
Severus had reached her buttocks and was kissing her there, and now made Heather dig her knees on bed and separate her legs more, lifting her hip. The what he was doing was very clear now when she felt Severus’ hungry and languid tongue lick her from down up, tasting her from clit to anus. She screamed out of control and her hips buckled up onto his mouth. He finally touched her, holding her in place and opening her further for him. His kissed there started languid and calm for the first few minutes, but when her heat increased and he felt her wetter than he had ever felt, moaning desperately and rocking against his face, her folds throbbing against his tongue, he also lost it. He devoured her, getting drunk on her juices. When re recognized the sigs she was about to come, he slid his lapping up, away from her clit and entrance, and she complained wordlessly, trying to bubble up and find him again. He held her firmly down and met her other entrance with wet lips and tongue. Heather startled at the sudden contact, but relaxed immediately at this new sensation, amazed.  
She didn’t see Severus reach for his shirt and start to unbutton, never stopping his attentions to her. In no hurry at all, he worked on his clothes, opening shirt and trousers, and slid his kissed down again, ready to make her come. It didn’t take long. Soon enough she was crying out and trembling on her knees. Before she went silent, though, he stopped again and got up from bed, throwing his clothes away one by one. Heather fell back on her stomach and stared at him, desperately excited and nearly angry. His eyes locked with hers, he saw her won slid down his body when he took off his boxers. Like a hungry, wild animal, Heather sat suddenly on bed and reached out for, pulling him to her and swallowing him whole , holding the base of his shaft and moaning with him in her mouth. Severus groaned aloud and held her by the hair, guiding her. He didn’t let her go on for long but enjoyed every second, every suck and every lick of her tongue.  
Not physically able to wait any longer, Severus pushed her back to bed, unceremonious, and saw her lick her lips and open her legs for him. He fell on tip of her and entered her wet body immediately, both of them crying out at their fit. He didn’t wait any moment to get out and enter again in a fast, strong movement, and Heather screamed and lost breath right then, her mouth open in a silent scream as her wall clenched down at him. He pounded into her, holding himself up on his arms, and didn’t hold for even a minute. With final violent pounding, he screamed her name and came inside her for the longest and most delicious seconds of his entire life.  
Loosing every control over his body, Severus fell on top of her a rolled to his side, pulling her with him to his chest. Heather still trembled at the end of her release, and they remained like that, slowly regaining the ability to breath properly.  
“I got it”, Heather Said in a weak voice. “I see what you meant about my silence”.  
Severus smiled breathless. “This silence is the most delicious sound I’ve ever heard”.  
Heather felt him hold her tighter against his chest and allowed herself to feel nested and caressed, and to be in a place with no name, no time, no restrictions. The best place in the world. I don’t ever want to leave.  
No.  
Slowly, Heather disentangled from Severus’ arms. Distracted, he took a few seconds to understand she was trying to get up; only then he let her go. Sitting up, she felt Severus’ softening length slid out of her body. The room felt horribly cold without the heat of his body against hers, but she left anyway, sitting with her legs out of the side of the bed, her back turned to him. He didn’t see her face, but her expression showed concentration and the hard choice of words to speak at that moment. She tried and gave up a few times, not really believing in the words she was trying to force out of her mouth.  
“Heather?”  
Severus was now lying on his side, up on one elbow, knowing something was up.  
“Severus…”, she started, not knowing what the next words would be. He just waited, looking attentively at her. “Severus, you are…”, she stopped again. She couldn’t go there. Telling him what he was would put her in a path with no return.  
“I need to tell you something”, she started again, turning a little to look at him. “You know I’m not from here. A wanderer, as you put before. That hasn’t changed. I’m not staying here”.  
She knew that was a partial truth If she thought the castle was actually in Hogsmeade, therefore she was not really leaving; but she was really leaving the village and that inn.  
“I’m leaving”.  
Severus stared at her for a few long moments, his expression unchanged, and then sat up, still behind her. Heather looked to the wall again so she would see his expressionless face. Her body was still warm, still trembling from the sensations they had shared just a few moments ago; it felt like she was begging herself not to do that. It didn’t have to happen. It has to happen.  
When Severus finally spoke, his voice was plain, emotionless. “When?”  
“Tonight”.  
More seconds of silence.  
“Where are you going?”  
“Does it matter?”  
“Apparently not”.  
Sliding to the other side of the bed, Severus raised, bent to retrieve his clothes from the floor and vanished into the bathroom. That was not exactly the reaction Heather was expecting. Maybe he would tell her it was fine, that they really didn’t have anything real going on anyway, or he’d throw himself to her feet a beg her to stay, declaring her his eternal love… But he just got up and left without another word.  
With her wand, Heather cleaned up herself and the sheets and put her clothes back on. He heart complained. Why did she have to turn her back to something good that had finally happen and leave? Only reason could understand that, but the heart ached. Severus left the bathroom already with his clothes back on, and they looked at each other in silence. Slowly, he stepped towards her until he stood very close, and softly touched her cheek with his fingertips.  
“That’s why you didn’t tell me anything about you?”  
“That’s exactly why”, she answered with no need to think. That was an acceptable explanation.  
“Maybe it’s better like this”, he said and pulled her softly to him, resting his lips on her forehead for long seconds. “It was a pleasure to meet you”.  
Turning around, Severus walked to the door and left without looking back.  
* * *   
September 13th

On the first Saturday the students would be allowed to go to Hogsmeade, Heather tried her best not to judge their excitement. She had been to the village thousands of times since classes had started, but the others would only go when the school permitted. It would be the first time she’d go with her colleagues. After the long walk to the village with Sandra, Emily and Davon, Heather felt like the outsider she was. She couldn’t help but feeling rather old when in their company. The three of them were great, smart, hardworking teenagers, but they were still the classical teenagers. Nonetheless, she walked into the Three Broomsticks with them and got butterbeers and a table at the end of the bar.  
“So, what do you use to do here at Saturdays?”, she asked trying to be part of the conversation  
“Ah, hello!”, Davon laughed. “What do you think?”  
“All right, lemme see… You drink and chase boys”, Heather said instantly understanding the obvious  
“It’s only logical!”, Sandra said in a professional voice.  
“Right. So tell me about the boys”.  
If she had thought – and later she would wonder how could she not – that entering such a subject would make the young ones even more excited and laughing even more boyishly, Heather would not have talked about it. When it was their turn to ask her about the same subject, Heather made clar she was new around, that she was too faraway from her last stories, and that there was nothing to tell. Yet.  
“Besides, the older one here are eighteen, at most. A little too young for me”.  
“I got it”, said Emily. “You prefer the mature ones”.  
“A little hard to find around here”, Sandra said  
“Unless…”, Davon started to laugh and his two young friends interrupted him  
“Oh no, you queer, don’t get started”, Sandra said slapping him laughingly in the arm  
“How can I not? I bet out Bette Davis here will agree with me”.  
“What, agree with what?”  
Pretending to be telling some absolute secret, Davon gestured Heather to lean over the table to listen to him whisper. “Professor Snape”.  
They both returned to their positions in the chairs and Heather faced him gapping a little. “So you’re into Pr…”  
“Shush!”, he said smiling. “Of course!”  
Heather laughed and grabbed her beer bottle, “What do you mean, Davon?”  
“Oh, it’s just some fantasy he had, Heat”, Emily said. “He observed too much and loves to say that he’d go for it given the chance. But I really doubt he’d do him”.  
“Well, in the first place, I doubt Pr… He would go for you, love”.  
“Why, how can you be sure? I’ve heard about the most unlikely men that actually… Do”.  
Oh, I don’t know”, Heather said, trying not to sound obvious. “He looks to manly”.  
“Yes he does!”, Davon laughed, fanning himself. “See, she agrees!”, he said and Heather said no more, preferring to be silent about it. Davon went on, “That mysterious countenance, those millions of buttons hiding everything and leaving only the imagination, and the voice… Oh, the voice!”, the three girsl laughed and he fanned himself again. “Please, Miss Zooey Deschanel, tell me you know what I mean!”  
Smiling, Heather too a sip of her beer before answering. “All right, Davon, I can’t say I don’t see what you mean. He is really a rather charming man”.  
Davon giggled clapping his hands happily. “Finally! She knows about man, girls, you only know about boys”.  
Minutes later, Heather left them at the bar and stared walking alone along the street, as they wanted to stay there the entire afternoon and Heather enjoyer waling around the village and needed to go to the book store. Blackwell’s was right on the corner of an alley with the main street, and was not too much attended. Heather had found it and adored it in the weeks she’d lived there.  
Already inside the store and doing some small talk with the owner, Heather saw some sort of commotion through the glassy windows; people running across the street and entering the alley. Stepping out on the street, Heather saw men running towards the end of the alley and a few curious people pointing out in that direction. She didn’t know two of the men, but recognized Professors Slughorn and Snape with them around a figure on the ground. She noticed they all tried to get closer to it but were stopped somehow. With careful steps, Heather approached them until she was able to see and hear better what was going on. Professor Slughorn was bending over towards the small figure and reaching out to it, talking, but its cried got louder.  
She saw her then. The small figure turned out to be a little girl, one she had already seen in Hogwarts, probably a first year. She was holding on to her own coat and was crying aloud, scared looking up at the men around her. Heather saw a thin line of blood running down the girl’s temple. Snape made his attempt to approach her now, but the girl looked terrified. The four of them were around her, standing up, a small crowd forming around her, all of them surmounting her, and they we all men.  
Heather understood, as for instinct, what the little girl needed. Not thinking for more than a second, she ran towards the group and elbowed Snape and Slughorn, who got startled for a moment, and saw her kneed behing the girl.  
“Hi, honey”, she started in a cooing voice. “Hush, it’s okay. Do you know who I am?”  
The girst stopped screaming, but still crying fized her eyes in Heather, saying nothing.  
“It’s all right. I’m from Hogwarts too. My name is Heather, and yours?”, she asked, but the girl said nothing, not moving her wet eyes from her. It’s okay, you don’t have to say it. It’s gonna be okay. Can I hold you? – she asked before touching her. With wet, wide eyes and tears flowing down her face, she nodded.  
“Thank you, dear, that’s right, come on”, Heather said softly pulling the little girl to her arms. “I’m gonna take you back to the castle, is that ok?”  
Quickly looking backwards at her two professors, Heather disapparated with the girl on her arms. When she apparated back on Hogwarts gates, the four men appear just a second after her. Standing up, Heather lifted the trembling girl easily in her arms. She was small even for a first year, and Heather carried her without much effort through the gates and the castle grounds. All the way in, Heather seemed not to tire and talked to her all along, soft reassuring words. When she walked through the castle doors, the girls was holding tight to Heather, her face hidden on the crook of her neck, but she sounded calmer now. Snape, Slughorn and the other two men followed them closely, but said nothing. Heather too the girl to the Hospital Wing and lay her down on a bed. The girl didn’t let go of Heather’s robes, as the man explained Madam Pomfray what had happened, but she didn’t hear. She was busy telling the girl it was okay to let go, because she was not going to leave her.  
When she finally let go, Heather sat by her side on the bed and the girl immediately held her again, hiding her face. The professors were accompanied by two ministry aurors who had been in a routine day in Hogsmeade. They had heard her scream and a suspect man running out of the alley. Other two aurors had ran after the men, when those two and the professors ran towards the sound of the screaming girl. When Pomfray got close to Heather and the girl, speaking to her as kindly as possible, she let her touch her, but refused to take the vial of potion the matron offered. Heather took it.  
“It’s ok, honey, you should take this potion. It Will be good for you, I promisse. It will just calm you down, nothing else. Do you trust me?”  
The girl nodded and let Heather drop the motion on her mouth. In a moment Heather felt her relax and was finally able to rest her fully on the bed. Already asleep. She took a step back from the bed, letting the healer work, now rolling her own neck and shoulders, only then noticing they hurt from carrying her through the castle’s grounds.  
“What’s her name?”, Heather asked to no one specific  
“Abigail Green”, Severus answered, forcing Heather to look at him. “Hufflepuff”.  
She looked at him for just a moment and then to the other men. “And what happened to her?”  
One of the men told Heather that he’d be going back to the village to get that information, and asked the other one to stay there until the kid woke up to tell her version. All they knew for now was that they had seen two man running away from the scene.  
“How did you know?”  
Heather was staring at Abigail, lying on the high hospital bed, while the healer tested her with her wand. She heard Severus’ voice and took a moment to understand he was addressing her. She was really worried with the girl.  
“Sorry?”, she Said looking at him again  
“How did you know what she needed?”, he repeated  
“Ah… Well, I saw her from the corner and”, she looked again at Abigail. “She was scared, there was too many people around ger, everyone standing when she was fallen down, which scared her even more and… Well, you were all men”, she finished looking at him again. “I just understood what she needed. It was pretty obvious, actually”.  
“Men”, Severus repeated. “Do you think it could be...”  
“Maybe”, she said worried. “I hope it’s just an impression”.  
Severus looked at the auror by his side, who had also understood what they were talking about. “Miss Green won’t wake up from the potion for at least five hours. I see no reason…”  
“You’re right, Severus”, he said, already starting to walk towards the door. “Please, tell the headmistress and Hufflepuff head of house about what happened. I’ll be here qhen she waked up”.  
After a few moments of silence after the auror had left, Heather got up from the bed on Abigail’s side and got closer to Madam Pomfray. “Do you think it was something bad?  
“It doesn’t look like it. A few scratches, bruises around her wrists, but I think she got scared and that was the worse, whatever it is that’s happened. We’ll know better when she waked up”.  
Heather reached out for Abigail’s hand, wishing everything would be ok, and stepped away again. “I’m gonna go. I hope she’ll be fine”.  
“Yes, yes, we all hope”, professor Slughorn, who had been silent until now, said quite devastated. “Thank you for your help, Miss Sebastian, I am sure your presence was of great importance to Miss. Green”.  
“You don’t have to thank me, professor, I only did what was necessary”;  
“Either way, my dear, it was of great importance. I’ll enjoy the opportunity, Miss. Sebastian, to invite you to my first dinner party of the year at the Slug Club. I’d be glad if you could be there. See, I always invite a few picked students to joint the club, many of them say they feel honored to be invited!”  
“Ah…”, Heather thought for a moment. “Of course, professor, thank you for your invitation”.  
“It will take place next Friday. Wait for my owl! Take a nice boy with you. I know it wont be a problem for such an elegant young woman as yourself!”, he said laughing a little  
Heather forced a smile and couldn’t help but looking quickly at Severus and back to Slughorn. “I’ll be there. Thank you again. If you excuse me... Professor Slughorn, Professor Snape”.  
Turning her back, she left before hearing any answer from both.


	7. Abby Green

Chapter 6 – Abby Green

September 16th

Heather had barely sat to have breakfast in the Great Hall when a Ravenclaw first year boy tapped her in her shoulder and handed her a note, disappearing immediately. Under her colleagues’ curious look, she read Madam Pomfray’s note, telling her Abigail Green was awake in the Hospital Wind and had called for her. Not thinking for a second, Heather grabbed her school back and ran out of the hall, hurrying towards the north corridor on the first floor.  
The matron tried to convince and scared Abigail to drink a vial of potion. The last one she had taken had been the one Heather gave her and it should have only made her sleep for a few hours. She had spent that day asleep or too sleepy to talk, and Pomfray explained it was more an psychological tiredness than and effect of the potion. Finally in the first hours of that morning, Abigail had finally woken up, scared from a nightmare, and had called for her mother. When she understood she was in the castle and her mother was far from there, at home, she called for Heather.  
One of the aurors was there and introduced himself as Edward Jones. Heather met him by the closed curtains around the girl’s bed, and he explained to her that the aurors on the village had been able to catch the two assaulters, and they were being held at the ministry. Apparently it had been not more than robbery, but with the aggravating that they had hurt a child. They were waiting for Miss. Green’s testimony to move on with the prosecution. Up to then, she hadn’t spoken a Word to the aurors. Thanking for being kept informed, Heather excused herself and opened the curtain.  
“Heather!”  
Abigail smiled up at her, but it was a tearful smile. As if she knew the girl for a long time, Heather sat by her side and held the now crying girl.  
“Hush, my dear, it’s okay, it’s over now. You’re fine, don’t worry”.  
“I’m scared”, Abigail’s voice was muffled on Heather’s robes  
“I know, Abby, I understand, but I promise you everything is fine. You’re in the castle, it’s safe here, and they have caught those men, they are arrested. Okay?”  
Abby nodded and Heather let go of her, drying the tears from the child’s cheeks with her thumbs.  
“Now tell me: why are you not taking the potion Madam Pomfray is trying to give you?”  
Looking ashamed, Abby answered “I don’t know”.  
“That’s it then. You’ll drink it now. It’s good for you and you know it, right?”  
“I know…”  
“You can trust Madam Pomfray, as well as anybody else from the staff. You should know that”.  
“I know. I’m sorry”.  
“It’s fine, you don’t have to apologize. Just promise me that you Will drink the potions she tell you to”.  
“Ok, I promise”.  
By the bedside, Madam Pomfray smiled at Heather and gave Abigail the vial. She took it and drank without questioning again. Taking the empty vial back, Pomfray looked at Heather. “You should work with children when you leave Hogwarts. Or as a Healer. I can tell you’d be good at it”.  
Heather smiled, “To be a Healer is actually one of my options for the future, but that’s still just a thought”.  
“I know a talent when I see one. If you want to talk about it, you can look for me any time you want. I’d be glad to give you a few tips”.  
“Thank you very much, Madam Pomfray”.  
Smiling at both, the matron left them alone and Heather looked down at the child again. “How are you, Abby?”  
“I’m fine… Just sleepy”.  
“It’s the potion and also the fact you slept all Day and night. I know you were very scared that day and needed to rest”, she said and Abby nodded with a sad smile. “The auror told me you didn’t want to talk to any of them. What’s going on?”  
Abigail looked down and started fidgeting with her sheets.  
“Abby, dear, look at me”, Heather said softly but firmly. “Whatever happened, it’s over. I know you were scared, but it was fast and it’s over. They were arrested. Everything is fine now. Any men that come close to you inside this hospital wing is completely trustworthy. They are aurors, and they are good men, as well as the teachers, you can also trust them. If you wish, I’ll be here by your side, but you must talk to them and tell everything that happened. If you don’t, they won’t know what to do with those men, and they will probably get out of jail. Do you understand?”  
In a moment the wet eyes Abby nodded before speaking “I know it’s silly. I’ll try”.  
“It’s not silly, love. It’s not silly. It’s your feeling, you have every right to feel it. Never let anyone say that your feelings are silly. It’s just something you can finish, you can go over it and do what is right. Okay?”  
“Okay. You’ll stay with me?”  
“Of course. I’m gonna ask him in now, may I?”  
“Yes”.  
Smiling, Heather petted Abby’s hair and kissed her forehead before rising and opening the curtain. She saw Auror Jones with a notebook and a repetition writing frantically and, in front of him, Proessor Snape was giving his testimony.  
“Excuse me?”, she Said looking at them and they stopped to look at her. “Mr. Jones, Miss Green has accepted to talk to you now”.  
“Oh, great, that’s good, Miss Sebastian! If you give me just a minute, I need to finish a few noted and I’ll be right with her. Excuse me”, he said and moved to a corner  
Heather tried not to look at Severus, who didn’t say anything. She felt his eyes on her, though. She knew that weight.  
“I thought you had already given your testimony, professor”, she said when the silence was too awkward  
“My testimony was taken before, today he only needed a few more notes. Has your presence been requested?”  
“Yes, by the victim herself, as soon as she woke up”.  
Severus looked at her in silence for a few moments, his expression as unreadable as ever. “You’ve been admirable”, he said quietly  
“It was no big deal”, she said looking away from him.  
When Auror Jones came back, Severus left the infirmary and Heather got the auror inside Abby’s curtains. She sat by the girl on bed and he sat in a chair, and they started talking. Abigail told then she got lost on the streets and entered the alley, seeing those two man at the back of it, talking. As soon as they saw her, they sais something to each other and moved towards her very quickly. Before she could understand what was going on, one of them held her by the wrists and the other started looking through her coat pockets looking for money and telling her not to scream. He found a few coins on her pockets, but she wanted more, and started groping inside her coat, the pockets of her jeans and shirt. No she screamed, scared with the man’s hands on her body, and the other man shook her by the wrists, forcefully. She screamed louder and he threw her to the ground. She hit her head on something and sais it hurt a lot. She didn’t stop screaming, and the man ran.  
Minutes later, with his notebook filled, Mr. Jones thanked Abby for talking and Heather for helping so much on the case, telling her that now they had enough to prosecute them officially, and that they’d probably end up in Azkaban. He left and Heather heard Abby breath deeply.  
“See? You were great, Abby!”  
“I didn’t think I could do it...”  
“But you did! You are strong and brave. Being scared is normal, everybody gets scared. Facing the fear is a sign of courage. And now that you’ve talked about it, you can start to get better”.  
“Yes, I guess I feel a little better”, she said smiling  
“I know you are, and you’ll get even better. I’m sure you’ll leave the infirmary soon and will be back to normal”.  
Abigail smiled and thought for a moment before speaking again. “Heather… I know you’re a student here, but… You’re so much nicer than the other ones. And you look bigger than them as well”  
“It’s because I AM. I got a little late in school and I am older that everybody else. And about being Nice... Well, I really am very nice!”  
Abigail giggled and Heather felt very happy to hear that sound.  
“I just wanted to know if… Well, if after I leave here I might… I don’t know… See you again?”  
“Of course you can, Abby! Anytime you want. I know we’re not in the same house but it makes no difference. We can meet and talk every time our classes allow us to. And you know what? When you leave and feel fine again, I’ll invite you for tea in my rooms. I have my own rooms, all for myself, did you know that?”  
“Uau!”  
“Yes, and you can go there and visit me. Now gimme a Kiss and GO to sleep. I need to go to class”.  
“What class do you have now?”  
“Defense”.  
“Cool, I like it. Professor Snape is kind of scary sometimes, but I think his voice is beautiful”, she Said and they both laughed. “And he was there and tried to help me, so I guess he is nice too. But I like professor Slughorn more. He looks like my grandpa”.  
* * *  
Heather entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts room five minutes after the rest of the class. The professor was on his desk, but hadn’t yet started class.  
“How’s Abby?”, Emily asked as Heather Sat by her side  
“Better. She testified”.  
“And what happened after all?”  
“Nothing more than robbery from two grown man taking advantage from a small first year girl just to gain a few galleons”.  
“Cowards”.  
“If I was the one to catch’em I don’t know what I’d have done with them. You had to see how scared Abby was”.  
Professor Snape rose from his chair and started the class, not mentioning Heather’s delay to get to class, and explained today they’d work on practicing the resistance to Imperio curse. Not giving any instruction as to how to perform the curse, he worked individually with each student, under the gaze of the rest of the class. The majority of the students had deep difficulties to resist to it and not to sing opera as the professor ordered. Some managed to stop after a few minutes, and only one student, a Hufflepuff, was able to resist it completely. Heather sang – the only one who did it well – but was able to force herself to stop after about two minutes.  
Warning the students that in the next class the same practice would be continued, Professor Snape told them off after the two hours of class and asked Heather to remain behind so he could speak to her, using one of the usual excuses that worked well for her case, since she was doing projects and researches to gain extra credit in her classes and be able to take her NEWT’s still on her sixth year.  
“Has the testimony been taken?”, he started from his desk  
“Yes”, she answered, still in the middle of the class. “She told everything”.  
“Something we still didn’t know?”  
“No, just a few more details, nothing that’d change the prosecution”.  
“Very well. How is Miss Green doing?”  
“She’s fine, might be leaving the infirmary today”, Heather answered crossing her arms on her chest, getting somewhat impatient. “If you don’t mind, professor, I need to go to my next class”.  
“Heather”, he said and moved towards her. “That’s not all I wanted to talk about”.  
“I didn’t think so”, she said with her chin up  
“What is the matter, Heather?”, he asked dryly. “You’ve completely changed the way you talk to me”.  
“Have I? Believe me, Severus, I wasn’t the first one”.  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about”.  
“You don’t? Out last conversation, by the waterfall? You raising your voice at me, as you’d do to a student who misbehave in class? And that during a simple conversation. Apparently you don’t even notice anymore when you use that tone”.  
“Heather, you know nothing about what we were talking about. It’s not a subject for a simple conversation, to a chatter on the waterside”.  
“It doesn’t matter, Severus. I wont be treated like that. As a professor I might disagree with the tone but I cant question your teaching methods, but we both know very well that outside the classroom and away from other people, we used to be more than that”.  
“Used to?”  
“Yes. And I Will not hear you talking to me like that ever again, Severus; Of I don’t mind on the first time, you’ll do it again. I wont take it. The last person who raised his voice to me like you did was my father… And I never saw him again after that”.  
Not giving Severus any time to respond, Heather strode to the door and left quickly, her school bag hanging on one shoulder. Out on the corridor, she swallowed hard, trying to make that painful lump on her throat disappear before getting to the next class.  
* * *  
September 20th

The rest of the week went through very quickly to Heather. The amount of classes she took was nearly twice as much as the other students’. Heather spent most of her free time on the library, working on her projects to various subjects seeking the best grades she could get. On Wednesday evening, Davon had to literally drag her out of the library to go eat on the Great Hall, since she had already skipped lunch. On Defense classes, she would focus and give her Best to turn her brains off the professor’s voice, and would escape the class as soon as he let the students go. When Friday arrived, Heather received an owl from professor Slughorn at breakfast table, reminding her about his invitation to the Slug Clubparty. She snorted impatiently throwing the parchment on the table.  
“What’s wrong?”, Emily asked taking the note  
“Slug Club, have you heard of it?”  
“Of course! Slughorn invites the students he thinks will be important in the future, to create good connections for himself”, Sandra explained.  
“Did he invite you?”, Davon asked taking the paper from Emily. “And you didn’t tell us?”  
“I forgot! Honestly, guys, I’ve been doing so much lately, I have no time for nothing else”.  
“And that’s why you should go!”, said Emily. “You’re getting stressed and if your head will explode, it will do no good to your grades”.  
“She’s right, honey. It’s Friday night, you’ve been crazy all week, you deserve to relax”.  
“No, you guys, seriously, I not in the mood. What would I talk about with Slughorn?”  
“He says here to take a date!”, Davon said staring at the parchment.  
“Yeah, I know, as if I had someone to take on a date”.  
Davon’s hand flew to his heart. “I’m hurt! I am so hurt! My dear, do you really think Just because I enjoy eating from the same tree that you do, I can’t be considered a Guy? I’m hurt!”  
“Davon, I’m not even going!”  
“Take meeee!”, he said reaching for her hand on top of the table. “You need to relax, girl. As as you and I are of age, we can have a few drinks and just have fun. Come oooon!”  
“Oh, God, Davon, don’t use the ‘drink’ card on me”, she said and saw him beaming at her. “You’re not gonna stop until I say yes, are you?”  
“I will not!”  
“All right, then, damnit”.  
* * *  
Heather only closed the last book at seven o’clock. She had been studying in her rooms, her desk filled with books and parchments, up to the last minute. She rushed to take a quick shower before choosing a dress from the wardrobe. She picked one unthinkingly, one of the ones she used to sings at the bars. With a wave of her wand, she dried up her hair and then pinned it up with silver straps. Just a light make up and a delicate perfume and she was ready on top of her heels. She hurried out of the rooms, knowing that if she thought again about it, she’d just ditch her friend and put on sweat pants.  
Davon was already waiting for her outside her portrait and didn’t believe she had dressed up in just ten minutes. Arms locked, they went to the infamous party. The hall where it happened was not big, just enough to fit the gests; round tables around an empty space in the center. A few students that maybe professor Slughorn hadn’t considered important enough to be guests were serving drinks on trays. Heather and Davon accepted glasses as soon as they entered and toasted quickly before drinking and going to look for a table. Heather wanted to take the most secluded ones, but Davon insisted on being on the contrary.  
“I told you I didn’t even want to come!”, Heather said, already disappointed, “and now you want to be on the spotlight?”  
“Come one, Heat, are you getting old? You might be older than me, but you’re no elder. Just relax, girl!”  
Not answering, Heather emptied her glass in one gulp and let Davon take her to the table he chose. When they sat down, the table filled itself with appetizers, which Heather started eating immediately; he had been starving. Drinking, Davon looked around the room. In a moment, Heather nearly gagged on her food qhen Davon grabbed her arm making an weird sound of surprise.  
“What if it, you lunatic?”  
“He’s here”, Davon whispered still clutching to her arm  
“Who is here and, ouch!”  
“Sorry”, he let go of her. “Alex Birmingham, Gryffindor, seventh year”.  
Heather looked at where Davon was staring and saw a brown skinned boy, tall, who looked like he had just been taken from a muggle fashion magazine. Alex looked to their general direction, and Heather couldn’t tell who he was looking at.  
“Ok, tell me about Alex”.  
“Rumor has it that he is also gay, but I can’t be sure. I know about a few girls he’s dated, but after the last one he’s been alone, and that was a long time ago”.  
“And people think he’s gay just because he isn’t dating anyone?”  
“Oh, you know how rumors work. Sometimes we don’t even know how they started, but there they are. And just look at him!”  
“Yummy”.  
“Isn’t he?”  
“Have you talked to him?”  
“We sit together in a few classes, like in Potions. He is great, always helpful, but we never talk about anything else other than classes. I don’t know, I think I… I don’t know how to talk to him”.  
“You, Davon Jones, with problems to talk?”  
“Ah…”, he said quietly and looked down, his cheeks turning pink. “I think this is different”.  
“I see. And don’t you think, my dear, that this is the perfect occasion for you to go and talk to him about something other than Potions?”  
“Oh, I don’t know. What am I gonna talk to him about?”  
“Just let it flow, love! I’ll go talk to other people and you go there and tell him that your soulless date left you all alone, and go from there. Go!”, she said and got up  
With a last anxious look to Heather, Davon walked away and she left the table.  
“Oh, Miss Sebastian!”  
Heather turned around to look at professor Slughorn, standing by her table, a glass of mead in hand, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol, and by his side professor Snape, who looked utterly bored. He was once again all in black, but had not worn his teaching robes. He was in his frock cloak, the one she had seen before, that let show his height and form, and she absolutely adored to see him in that, tall and thin, impeccable posture, looking down at her. When his eyes travelled down her body, taking in her image the saw way she dad done, the weird aching inside her returned.  
“I’m glad you came, my dear. You’re not alone, I hope!”, professor Slughorn’s voice woke her from the daydream  
“Oh, not, I brought someone. Davon Jones”.  
Severus’ expression changed to something Heather hadn’t yet seen. One raised eyebrow, a questioning stare. She looked away from him quickly.  
“Oh, good, Mr. Jones”, Slughorn moved on, “A good boy, a real good – Oh, my boy!”, he stopped himself and waved at a boy holding a tray who walked nearby. “A drink to Miss. Sebastian here”.  
A sixth year Hufflepuff came close to their group. Heather took a glass of mead and Severus took one too. Slughorn replaced his empty glass  
“Cheers!”, Slughorn Said and drank without delay. Heather and Severus drank slowly, a long gulp, occupying their mouths for as long as possible. “Tell me, Miss. Sebastian”, Slughorn said clicking his lips. “Are you related to the noble Sebastian family from Massachusetts?”  
Heather nearly choked, but his her face behind the glass for a moment longer. Severus looked at her with interest. Finally lowering her glass, Heather swallowed hard and breathed in. “Yes, professor. Do you know them?”  
“But of course! I met Adolphus Sebastian many years ago when I was in Boston Academy to take a mastery course. An old and good friend”  
“Yes, he… Adolphus Sebastian is my father”.  
“Magnificent!”, he exclaimed and startled Heather. “It’s just a shame that I hadn’t the opportunity to meet your family before. I could have seen you born, young lady!”  
Heather tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.  
“It hasn’t been a long time since I last saw him”, the professor kept talking. “Less than a year, actually, in a Tiger’s Club convention in Portland. By the way, young Jonathan was there with him!”  
Heather head turned to him again to fast that Severus, who had been observing her, startled. She spilled a bit of her drink but didn’t seem to notice.  
“You’ve seen Jonathan?”  
“I certainly did! A very polite and distinct young man, taller than his own father!”, he laughed. “Your brother is a handsome boy and I see a briliant future for him, just like your father’s, my dear. Looks just like him!”  
“Taller than his own father...”, Heather repeated whispering, her eyes unfocussing for a moment. “Have you had the opportunity to talk to Jonathan?”  
“Briefly, yes, he told me about hos well he’s been doing in his internship in Great Falls Magical Institute”  
“Great Falls?”  
“Yes, Great Falls, but you certainly know that, don’t you? Your brother if apparently brilliant!”  
“Yes! Yes, I knew, of course”, Heather said trying to sound normal. “He really is brilliant. You see, fifteen years old and already with an Transfigurations internship in Great Falls Institute! Brilliant…”  
After a moment, aparently not really knowing that He was still Iná conversation with Heather and that Severis still stood there with them, Slughornt turned to talk to other people, leaving them alone. Heather still looked at nowhere, her glass empty in hand.  
“Heather?”, Severus asked. “Are you well?”  
She looked at him with eyes a little unfocussed, having nearly forgotten he was there.  
“Yeah… Yeah, I – I need some air”.  
With that she left him, going straight to the windows. With a wand wave, she filled her glass with water and drank it all, forcing herself to stay calm. She spent a few minutes there, alone, thinking about Jonathan. It’s been six years… He must be very different now. But now she knew where he was. Great Falls Magical Institute was located im Montana, about 2400 miles away from the Sebastian Family’s hometown. What if he doing there? Why is he not studying in Salem?  
A final thought made her even more anxious. Professor Slughorn had said Jonathan was very much alike their father. Gods, he can’t be like my father. Deciding that was not a good moment to think about those things, Heather took a deep, hard breath and returned to the party, her heart tight in her chest and feeling like disappearing. Run away and write to him. At school Mr. Sebastian cannot control his mail.  
“There you are!”  
Davon reached her from behind with a huge smile on his face. Swallowing hard, Heather smiled, tucking her feeling somewhere faraway.  
“What’s up?”  
“I love him!”, Davon smiled. “He is amazing”.  
“Did you talk about something other than Potions? And why are you back here so soon? Where is he?”, Heather said looking around the room.  
Instead for finding the figure of Alex, Heather’s eyes found Severus. Her stomach dropped again and she cursed herself. Before she could take her eyes off him, as quickly as she was able to, he looked at her and their eyes locked. He was close to a wall talking to the Muggle Studies teacher – Something-White; she couldn’t remember her name now – holding his mead glass. Heather knew Davon was talking to her, very excited about something, and she tried, she really did try, to take her eyes off of Severus and give her friend some attention, but it felt impossible. After a few moments she noticed there was silence around her, and in her mind she punched herself in the face for this romantic ridiculous notion that everything goes silent when you look at the guy’s eyes.  
“All right”, he finally heard Davon say. “I’ll give you a minute to recover and stop eating him out”.  
“What?”, Heather said, finally ungluing her eyes from those deep, black ones, and looking blankly at Davon. “I’m sorry, you were saying?”  
Davon laughed, “Oh, quit it, honey! I saw it!”  
“What did you see?”  
“You and profess-“, Davon stopped and lowered his voice to a whisper, “You and him staring at each other! Honey, he was devouring you with his eyes”.  
“Him? What are you talking about?”  
“Honey!”  
“What?”  
“Oh, come on! Tell me, what’s up with the staring?”  
“Davon, really, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was looking at Professor White’s dress; did you see how beautiful it is?”  
“Yes, I did, but I don’t believe you”.  
“Oh, Davon, come on”.  
“Ok, ok. Sorry, I won’t insist”  
“I’m sorry I didn’t hear what you said. Tell me again”.  
Just a few minutes later, Alex, who had left the party to go use the toilet, returned and Davon immediately left Heather again to go keep talking to him. Laughing lightly at her gaudy friend, Heather took a deep breath trying to not think about Severus or Jonathan, and moved to the window again, not before accepting one more glass of mead from a waiter.  
The house was dark and silent and the clock on the mantel marked three in the morning. On her socks, Heather tiptoed across the hall and opened a door, cracking it open just enough for her to slide inside. It was dark in there too, except for the blue moonlight entering through the open curtains. In the bed, a ten year old boy slept soundly. Heather came close to him and sat by his side.  
“Jonny”, she whispered, and the boy didn’t move. “Jonny, wake up”  
“Wha-?”, he murmured  
“Jonny, please wake up, I need to talk to you”.  
“Heat?”, he said as he opened his sleepy eyes  
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you awake?”  
“What’s happened?”  
“Jonny… I need you to listen to me for a moment. Please don’t sleep again”.  
“Okay…”  
“I need you to remember something, Jonny”, she whispered with urgency. “I’m leaving this house. I’m going away right now”.  
“Heat?”, the boy sat up and said a little louder “Where—“  
“Shh, please, just listen. I need to leave. I know you can’t understand now, but I hope one day you will. Please don’t hate me, Jonny”, she said and cupped his cheeks with her hands. “I love you, little brother. I love you so much, but this is something I have to do. I hope I will see you again when we’re both older. Please don’t hate me”.  
“I don’t… Why, Heat?”  
“Some things happened that you don’t know about, and I don’t want you to worry about it. I need to leave. Trust me, this is important”.  
“Take me with you!”  
“I don’t even know where I’m going or what I’ll do with my life. I can’t take you, Jonny, I wish I could. Just remember that I love you more than anything, and that one day we will be together again. I promise”.  
She hugged him and he responded among tears, still pleading for her to say or to take him with her. She cried and held him for as long as she dared, but suddenly felt she had to go. She let go of him and forced him to let go of her.  
“I love you”, she whispered again before running on her toes out of the door. She looked back one and saw the boy sitting in bed, crying silently, looking at her. With a painful silent sob, she left.  
Heather hid a sob with a large gulp of mead. She felt her cheeks hot and thought if it wasn’t time to stop drinking. She was inside the school after all. She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, silently deciding it was time to leave her date with his date and find a secluded place to light up a cigarette before going to bed.  
She turned to leave, but found her way blocked by the black coated form of Professor Snape, who seemed to be in the middle of opening his mouth to call her out. He startled and they locked eyes, Heather’s mouth going instantly dry.  
“Professor”, she said, quickly looking around to look if someone was close enough to hear them.  
“Miss Sebastian”, he said quietly, his voice hard. “I wonder why you’ve been hiding behind the curtains all night”, he said and straightened his back, looking at her from even higher. “Unsatisfied by your choice of date?”  
“My date is very satisfying, thank you for asking”.  
“Why don’t you go be with him then? Don’t be restrained, Miss Sebastian. There’s no need to let my presence deprive you from enjoying your night”.  
“Your presence, professor? Why would you think that would be the reason why I’m not with my date right now? Believe me, there’s nothing about you depriving me of anything, sir”.  
Exhaustion took her from head to toe right then. It was all too much, her unwanted feeling for this man, the news about her brother, the memories flooding up her mind all night. Not letting Severus say anything else, she rounded him and walked out of the room, containing herself not to run. Once out of other’s eyes, she speeded up, and when she reached the painting that led into her room, her eyes were already blurred with tears.


	8. Do you wish to walk away?

Chapter 8 – Do you wish to walk away?

September 26th

Time seemed to slow down that week. Heather found herself constantly loosing focus on whatever she was doing, thinking about what professor Slughorn had told her. The day after the party, Heather had spent hours writing a letter to Jonathan, throwing away lots a drafts she didn’t find good enough as a first contact after six years. She had written to him lots of time during the years, but the owls always returned with her undelivered parchment. She knew Jonathan had never set eyes on her letters, and must believe she never did write. After hours, she decided it couldn’t get any better than that, and ran through the halls and outside the castle, rushing up to the owlery before she could think too much. She had observed the owl disappear on the blue sky, wondering how long it would take to get to America, and how it would do it. More importantly, she wondered it Jonathan would actually get it this time.  
It had been sent on Saturday, and now she faced the end of her Thursday with no answer from her brother. Her heart huddled, she decided not to give up on it. The letter hadn’t been sent back as it had been usual in the past, so she decided to take it as a good sign. If he didn’t answer when it completed a weed, she’d write again, and again, as many times as it took for him to forgive her.  
She had just entered her room and dropped the school back and coat on the couch when there was a knock on the door. She groaned and rolled her eyes, with absolutely no patience to talk to anyone today. She just wanted to sink on the bath and let the world forgive her. Maybe some whiskey would be good too. She schooled her features, though, and walked to the door.  
She met his eyes and froze. In a moment, every problem she had in mind disappeared to give place to other ones. Severus. The way she fought to hide form herself the ache she had been feeling for his touch; how much she missed the voice she now only heard in class, whispering wanton things in her ear, popping up chills all over her body. She didn’t want to admit how much she had hoped that he’d knock on her door and take her right there. Heather thought about what she’d like to say now, that he had no business there after having talked to her as he did, who did he think he was?, but the words didn’t come. Instead, she held the doorknob and took a step back, giving him space to enter. He did without a word and she closed the door.  
There was silence for a moment. Heather looked up at him and saw the tiny movement he made towards her; she crossed her arms immediately, and he stopped. He breathed out, eyes leaving hers, and looked down. Heather had never seen him looking down like that before.  
“I apologize for the way I spoke to you”, he finally said, his silky voice quiet. “You never were part of things that make me react like that, and you didn’t have to hear the bitterness of those memories on my tone”.  
Heather stared at him, still silent and with arms crossed. He looked back at her, expecting those words to be enough, but she seemed still closed. Damn, he wasn’t good at this. He could count on his fingers the number of times he had apologized in his life, let alone admit he had been wrong about something. What was it about that woman that made him wish he was good at that?  
“There’s something you must understand, Heather”, he started again, one hand running thought his hair. “Things that make people label me as a hero, are things I wish I could forget or, impossible as it is, undo. Go back in time and correct them, refuse to do or do differently. And people…”, he said, growing somewhat impatient, “people just won’t let them fucking go!”  
He moved away from her now, towards the couch, and let himself topple, leaving Heather a little astonished. He kept talking, staring at the unlit fireplace. “Those were the worse years of my life, and they took everything I had. People overlook it. All they talk about is how brave I was and the importance of the work that was done, but that’s it. It’s easy to call someone a hero and feel like their own sins are forgiven for calling me that. No one trusted me, even after Dumbledore told them to do so. Every one of them would just kill me in a blink of an eye given the chance. Nobody had the guts to question my actions, to question if I really was the traitorous murdered they thought. And then the truth comes out and suddenly they praise Dumbledore again, forgetting they had doubted his word about me, and they praise me. Damn hypocrites”.  
Severus fell silent for a moment before looking at Heather again. She was still standing with her arms crossed, but as she stared at him, he saw her eyes were softer than they had been minutes before when he entered her room. That woman in front of him was not one of the damn hypocrites.  
“I know you’re not one of them, Heather”, he said, still sitting, looking up at her. “And it was wrong of me to have treated you as if you were. That subject and that word have the power to make me angry, but that’s not an excuse”.  
“And you took that long to realize that, Severus?”, Heather asked walking towards him slowly, arms still crossed. “Are you really sorry or are you saying you are just because I cut you off?”  
“I don’t say things I don’t mean, Heather”, he said firmly and rose from the couch. “By now you should know that”.  
“Should I? I really know nothing about you”.  
“Likewise”, he said, narrowing his eyes. “But here I am, recognizing a mistake and apologizing”  
Heather noticed his patience was already weakening, and decided his penalty has already been enough. She had made her point on not allowing him to abuse her verbally, had gotten the apologies she wanted and, hell, she missed him. As she unfolded her arms, though, Severus walked towards her and her stomach clutched a little, but he passed right though her and strode to the door. She stared confused at him.  
“Is that it?”, she questioned opening her arms  
“What?”, he asked turning from near the door.  
“You’re just turning around and leaving?”  
“What else do you expect? That I’d knee and beg you for forgiveness? My apologies were sincere, but I’m not a fool, Heather. I saw how easily you’ve put an end to what we had going on. Your social life had been going on quite well apart from mine”.  
“What are you talking about?”, she said stepping towards him  
“Your date last Friday. With such a younger—“  
“—Oh my God, Severus!”, Heather said half incredulously, half laughing. “Davon is gay! But thank you for your trust”.  
“Mr. Jones is gay?”, he asked, his expression somewhat softer  
“Yes, and it’s pretty obvious”, she stopped in front of him. “I wouldn’t just go and get myself a boy to date the minute we had a fight, Severus. I’m not looking for anyone; I wasn’t looking for anyone when we got involved. If you wish to walk away now, suit yourself, but not for that reason”.  
Severus straightened his back, looking down at her, trying to hide how foolish he felt. Heather was a full grown up woman, despite being a student, and she wouldn’t just go for Davon Jones, who was just a boy and, now he thought about it, rather feminine. And now she was acting as if it didn’t matter if he decided to leave and never touch her again.  
It didn’t matter for him either. It didn’t. Right?  
“Do you want me to walk away now?”, he asked quietly.  
Heather just stared up at him, seeking his eyes to understand what he meant. Something in his tone made her guess if he was asking about the just now or if it was a deeper question. All she knew was that, in the just now, she didn’t want him to leave. It was too hard to question that feeling right now, in silence, staring at his eyes, so she preferred to keep it locked to think about it later. What the hell is going on with me?, she asked herself before giving up to the need of touching that man again.  
She reached up for his face, stepping closer to him. He didn’t move, Just looked at her eyes, waiting. “I don’t”, she whispered. “I want you to stay”.  
Before she could do or think anything else, she felt Severus reach for her nape and up to her hair, softly grabbing the hair there. He dipped his head closer to hers, but didn’t touch. He saw her lips part as her breath became instantly shallower and his hand grabbed her hair tighter, tilting her head and positioning her mouth closer to his, but still didn’t touch her. Heather moaned softly after a moment, now barely able to stand the wait anymore. She grabbed the front of his robes, trying to pull him even closer. He was already kissing her and penetrating her, even if just with his eyes.  
After another moment, it was all a blur. The first touch of their lips gave place to a hungry, desperate kiss, tongues entwining, seeking space inside their mouths, hands grabbing strongly, moans escaping their throats and bodies moving on their own against each other. Now knowing or actually caring how, Severus felt the edge of her bed on his legs before dropping in his back, pulling Heather closely on his chest, their lips never parting. Her hair tightly wrapped around his fist, Severus pulled her head up to find her neck, now kissing and smelling her hungrily. Heather moaned, eyes closed feeling her lips and tongue on her skin. He tugged her hair, his other hand travelling down her back, lifting her skirt and grabbing her ass. Hissing, Heather leaned on one elbow and reached down, not pretending to go over all his body before getting to his trousers. She grabbed him through them, his clock had fallen open to his sides, and found him hard and twitching at her touch. He grabbed her ass stronger now, moaning and pulling her head down again to kiss her. Fumbling with just one hand, Heather somehow managed to unfasten his buttons and open it, Severus’ cock throbbed again when she held him through his underpants and he lifted her head again. He stared at her flushed face and swollen lips, eyes half closed looking down at him.  
“Oh, I missed it”, she hissed and tried to dip her head again to kiss him, bus his hand holding her hair tightly held her in place  
“You missed fucking me”, he said, his voice hoarse.  
“Yes”, she hissed, moving her hip down to his thigh. Her skit had gone up and Severus felt her rub against him.  
“Yes what?”, he said pulling her hair  
She moaned aloud before saying “I missed fucking you, Severus”.  
“Yesss”, he said feeling her hand tighten around his cock and slide down to cup his balls. “You’re so fucking hot…”  
She rubbed harder against him, feeling her wetness permeate her kickers. She pulled his waistband now, releasing his hardness. He bucked his hip up when she held him, starting to stroke his length in time with her hip movements. She moaned and hissed, quickening her movements. Severus squeezed her ass and slapped it, just hard enough for her to gasp and rub even harder, her hand tightening around his cock.  
“You little minx”, he roared. “Oh, fuck, you’re going to come all over me, aren’t you?”.  
“Yes! Oh, Severus, yes!”  
“Come”, he said thrusting up to meet her hand. “Come on me, naughty witch, come!”  
With a cry, Heather closed her eyes and stopped breathing, going silent and her hips bucked against him out of control. Severus smiled and slapped her ass again. It took several seconds for Heather to breathe again and scream his name. When she looked down at him, Severus pulled her head down by the hair again and kissed her hard, his controlling tongue invading her mouth. He pulled away biting her lower lip.  
“Tell me what you want, Heather”, he ordered  
“I want to fuck”.  
“More”.  
“I want you cock, Severus!”  
He slapped her ass again.  
“Oh, yes, Severus!, Please fuck me! Give me that cock, please!”, she screamed rubbing again against him  
He turned her and dropped her back first onto bed so fast she gasped. He rose from bed and let his trousers and underpants fall to the floor, releasing his hard wood. Heather reached for her shirt and rip it open, never caring about her buttons. Severus removed his watching attentively as she undid her bra and took down her kickers, keeping her skirt on.  
“You want me to fuck you?”, he said, grabbing his cock and stroking it slowly, looking down at the flushed woman in bed.  
“Yes!”, she said opening her legs  
Severus held her ankles and harshly pulled her towards his. She whimpered and he positioned her right on the edge of the bed. He held her legs up, her feet on his shoulders. He stroked himself and Heather saw a drop of precum in his tip. She licked her lips and gasped aloud when he rubbed himself against her dripping folds. He closed his eyes and moaned at the feeling. She was so wet he could feel it coating him. Looking down at her again, he made it find her entrance.  
“Fuck me”, she begged. “Please, fuck me now!”  
He complied. Still holding his cock, he made the tip slide in and stopped just long enough to replace his hands at her ankles, holding her steady, and the entered her in one firm, long movement. She screamed, her hands flying to her own head. Severus groaned aloud, feeling Heather wet and tight around him. He took a moment to breathe, feel it, and control his urge to pound into her until he came right away. No, he wanted more of her. He had been for too damn many nights wishing to be inside her again, hearing her moan his name, and kiss those lips again.  
In control of his body now. Severus started moving inside if her, in and out, slowly sliding his cock until he found a spot that made Heather gasp and rise her head to look at him, her eyes shining and dark with lust, “Yes, yes, right there! You know where—“  
He shouldn’t speak anymore as he fastened his pace, still hitting that spot inside her. She arched up, head falling back to the bed, screaming in pleasure, Severus’ hands firmly holding her legs up. Heather’s eyes widened when she felt her pleasure rise suddenly, an aching feeling on the spot Severus’ was hitting, so higher and more intense than anything she had ever felt when almost coming. It was different, but welcome, oh, so welcome. She relaxed and let it come, breath failing her as she came. Severus was hit with a warm, strong gush. He withdrew from her, surprised, watching her come out of control. He touched his own belly and chest and he was wet from her squirt, and found that the most arousing, addicting thing that could have happened to him. He thought he must have said some words, but couldn’t know what they were, and he entered her again, using the same movements to make it happen again.  
“Oh, my God, Severus! What was that?”, Heather asked amazed when she found her voice again  
“That was a fucking huge come”, he said, “and I want more”.  
His chest and the sheets were soaking wet long later, what it felt like hours. Heather was now limp, drained, having lost count of how many time she had come and squirted on him. Sweat dripped from Severus’ forehead and he felt tired, his legs muscles complaining, but he didn’t care. When the sweaty, flushed woman on the bed begged him to stop, telling him she might pass out from coming so much, he laughed and took his impossibly hard cock from inside her, looking proudly down at her. He let go of her legs, and they fell limp on the side of the bed, her feet touching the floor. Lying on top of her, Severus held her tightly by the waist and pulled her up with him to rest on the pillows.  
“Severus…”, she said, ands on his hair, “are you trying to kill me?”  
“Oh, no, I want you very much alive”, he whispered before kissing her lips softly, and he heard her sigh and relax in his arms. “Has that ever happened before?”, he asked, withdrawing a little to look at her.  
“No!”, she laughed. “Never, I didn’t even know I could. It was…”, she looked for words, “Mind blowing. Insanely good!”, she kissed him now, gabbing his hair a little stronger, and whispered into his lips. “You are amazing, Severus”.  
He kissed her fiercely now. It was so good to be with her again, after believing she’d given up on him, and seeing her come again and again and give herself to him so openly and so willingly. He felt himself twitch again at the caress of her tongue in his, her breasts pressed against his chest, her legs coming up around his waist. He entered her again, slowly and never stopping kissing her. Heather held him tightly, a hand still on his hair and the other sliding down his back. After a moment Severus finished their kiss and looked at her. Back and blue eyes locked together, they moved as one, perfectly fitting, breaths mingling on their skin. Heather gasped, eyelids going heavy at the tightening she felt on her chest, something almost like what she had felt before when coming insanely so many times, but now inside her chest, in her heart, and it was so strong, so sudden, she had no strength to hide it.  
“Severus”, she said, her voice trembling and her eyes dangerously wet.  
“Shh”, he said, a hand cupping her cheek, never stopping moving into her. “It’s ok. I know”.  
Those simple words, in addition to his delicious pounding, clicked something on her, heat once again burning her core. His hand slid down her body and met her left breast; holding it firmly and using his thumb to caress her nipple. Heather gasped and moaned, her hips rising to meet his movements. Severus saw the emotion in her eyes and wondered if the weird ache in his chest was also showing on his eyes. His pace was frantic now and he didn’t want to stop. Her moans and pleasure screams fed him, and it was at the moment Heather closed her eyes and stopped screaming, that he let go and came, pulsing his pleasure deep inside her. Her walls pulsed and clenched around him strongly as her nails were digging into his back. It hurt, but he didn’t care. His come didn’t seem to stop and when he started coming down from it, his sight was slightly blurred.  
His muscles finally gave in and Severus rested on top of Heather, who was breathing hard, heart pounding, hands still holding him strongly by his back. Severus took long moments to regain his breath and roll out of Heather, wetly sliding out of her. They lay side by side, recovering for a long moment. Eyes still closed, Severus pulled Heather to his arms, and she lay in his chest obediently, her arm across his chest and Severus held her tightly by her back. Their skin’s heat passed from one to another, sweats mingling, hears normalizing but still pounding. After a moment, when Severus relaxed so much he was nearly dozing, Heather pushed him away suddenly.  
“Too hot!”, she said, sitting up and fanning herself with her hands. “Come”.  
Throwing her legs out of bed, she got up and ran into her bathroom. Tired and befuddled, Severus watched her naked form disappear, her back glistering. For a moment he thought about just letting himself doze and rest; he didn’t have to do as she said, so why the hell was he already up and entering the bathroom door?  
He had to stop and stare for a moment. Heather was already under the shower, head up letting the water fall on her face and hair, looking so light, so relaxed. After a moment she opened her eyes and saw him. Her smile was bright, open, and Severus was surprised by the foreign feeling on his chest.  
“Join me?”, she asked softly  
With that the closed her eyes and let water fall on her face again. Next thing she felt was his proximity, his hands lightly holding her waist, stealing for him some space under the spray. Never opening her eyes, Heather let her hands slide up his wet skin and reach his shoulders, resting her forehead against his chest and relaxing. They kept silent; the only sounds were of the water and their relaxed breaths. Steam rose and the space was comfortable and warm as their skin. Once his muscles were not stiff anymore, Severus found the soap and withdrew from heather just a little, enough to wash his now soft cock and let water wash the soap away. Gently pushing Heather to the wall, she saw her relaxed eyes look up at him as she winced a bit from the cold tiles, but when he started gently rubbing the soap up her arms, shoulders and neck she relaxed once again. Letting her head rest on the wall behind her, Heather closed her eyes again and allowed herself to lose herself in the moment, no thoughts going through her mind, just the awareness of his body close to hers and his hands easily sliding on her. Severus washed off the soap from her neck and moved down, washing her chest and sliding to her breasts. She breathed in and let a quiet moan escape, when his hands held her, fingers sliding over her nipples. Even closer now, Severus leaned in and pressed a soft, featherlike kiss to her lips. She parted them, waiting for more, but he just kept kissing her skin, her face and moving down to her neck. Heather held his upper arms for balance when she felt his tongue on her neck. Severus now tasted the water from her skin, his hands slowly washing and sliding over her breasts. Returning kiss by kiss to her face, Severus let his forehead rest in hers, and they remained with their eyes closed, breathing together. The soap in one hand, Severus moved down to her belly, her sides, and around to her buttocks. Heather made herself remain still, just enjoying those feelings, but couldn’t resist to lean forward and capture his lips with hers. He let her kiss him, now pressing his entire body against hers. Heather wrapped her arms around his neck and languidly kissed him, seeking entrance to his mouth with her tongue. They were there for a long time now, time passing slowly, their bodies warming up against each other. Heather now felt him once again hard against her belly. Severus held himself in one hand and slid it down her skin, slowly opening space between her almost closed thighs and finding her now wet folds. He kissed her for a moment when she moaned into his mouth and the parted their lips, only to plant a lengthy kiss to her forehead. Forcing himself further, he found her entrance and slowly slid in. He couldn’t enter too far because of their position, be it didn’t matter. Severus didn’t move anymore, he just remained there, half inside her, his body pressed against hers, looking longingly at her face, planting soft kisses on her wet skin.  
Heather felt like she could melt and disappear right there. Her heart raced again and she slowly opened her eyes to find his deeply into hers. Her voice failed when she tried to say something, break that moment, seem listless, but he just couldn’t. She slid her hands from his shoulders to his face and hair, very slowly feeling him, her eyes roaming all over his face but always returning to those dark, deep eyes. Leisurely, Severus slid his hands inch by inch on her skin, up from her breasts to her neck and then to her face, and then, in one rapid movement, he took her in his arms, hugging her tightly to him, still inside her. Heather let out a gasp and felt the tightness on her chest boil to the surface. It was foreign, it was stronger than anything, it was new, and it was so scary. Severus heard a sob surfacing from her, against his chest, and held her face to him again, looking closely at her.  
She closed her eyes. His deep stare was too much, just too much, and she tried to lower her head, but Severus still held her on place. He dipped his head to resume his kissing to her face and felt her sob soundlessly again. He didn’t understand what was happening to her now, but he knew whatever it was, it wasn’t just her. He was feeling different too; but when he felt that the wetness on her face was slightly salty now, something burst inside him. Planting a long kiss on her forehead, he held her tightly and started moving into her. A new sob mingled with a moan rose from her and she grasped at him, desiring him even closer, even deeper, every thought and fear disappearing now, giving place only to that new, strange, but so strong emotion that took all of her body. He whispered her name and whispered again and again, even as he bent his knees, held her backside and lifted her easily, her legs rounding his hips as it they had her own mind. Slowly, but firmly now, he entered her again and again, their eyes still locked, breaths building up. Minutes passed by slowly at a moment that was just theirs, when there was nothing else in the world, and when they came it was together, as one, eyes also penetrating each other. Severus hugged her tightly again to his chest when she slid down to the floor again. He pulled her spent body under the water and they stood there, relaxing again, hearts thudding, not just from the physical ecstasy.   
* * *  
It was a very sleepy and tired Heather that sat with her colleagues at the Ravenclaw table. Grunting her good mornings, she reached for the coffee pot and filled a mug almost to the top.  
“You ok?”, Sandra asked by her side.  
Heather grunted again before answering “I’m tired. Didn’t sleep much”.  
“Oh? And why is that?”  
“Ahm… Studying. Reports to do in Arithmancy and the rest of the homework”.  
“But it’s Friday, honey”, Davon said across the table. “Couldn’t you have left some stuff to do in the weekend? We’re going to get together to study in the library, I thought you knew that”.  
“I know, and I’m gonna be there. But you know I have more stuff to do than you guys…”  
She decided to be quiet from then on and avoid the chance to let something slip. Telling her schoolmates that she had been awake all night because their Defense teacher was in her bedroom shagging her senseless for hours, first in bed, then in the shower, then on the couch in front of the fire, and then again this morning after they had woken up from a quick emergency nap, their bodies entwined.  
That thought alone was enough to make her lips go up in a silent smile. Last night had been just… Amazing. No other words could describe that. The thought if it was the time they had been away after a quarrel or if there was something more to that. Once again, Heather had avoided the talk, and Severus had tried for just a moment. It didn’t seem he desired too much talk about them. Things were great the way they were, and even more now, after last night’s activities seemed to be so much more intense than it had ever been before.  
Unthinkingly, her hear turned to the High Table and, as a magnet, her eyes found his immediately. Damn, she thought at the aching tightening she felt in her chest. Damnit to hell, I’m screwed. Frowning, he turned her attention back to her coffee.  
“What class do you have first?”  
It couldn’t go on. Too much was to be damned if someone found out. There were more important things than great, commitment-free shag. As great as it was, her studies, her future, everything she had done to be able to be right there now was more important. It couldn’t go on, she would have to talk to him. She would have to… But the ache in her chest hadn’t dissipated when the torn her eyes away from his, and it just sting more at the thought of actually doing it. Damn.  
“Heather? Are you in this planet?”  
She looked up to see her three colleagues staring at her, Davon slightly irritated.  
“I’m sorry!”, she said. “I’m sorry, I get distracted when I’m sleepy. Did you say something?”  
“I asked what is your first class”.  
“Oh. Uh, Herbology on greenhouse two”.  
“You’re with us then”, Emily informed  
With a shy smile, Heather finished her coffee and started eating, falling silent again as the teenagers move on with their conversation. When they were almost finished, Heather hear Davon talk to her again, a paid him attention this time.  
“Heat? Can I talk to you for a moment before you go?”  
“Sure. Is everything ok?”  
“It’s fine, don’t worry”.  
They left the Great Hall minutes later, before the other two girls and most of the other students. Leaving the castle through the front doors, they sat on the steps, alone.  
“Ok, I have to say”, Davon started. “I did believe you – well, kinda – when you said there was nothing going on, then, at the party. But I don’t anymore. You and him exchanges those looks again, and you didn’t sleep all night, and you have a hicky”.  
Heather’s hand flew instinctively to her neck, trying to figure where the mark was. Had anyone else seen it?  
“Where?”, she asked  
“Well, there you go. You don’t have a hicky, sweetie. But now I know I was right”.  
She let her hand fall, eyes narrowing at her friend. “That’s not fair!”  
“Oh, well”, he dismissed it. “Why don’t you tell me, hun?”  
“Damnit, Davon!”, she said turning to look at the grassy area in front of the castle, elbows resting on her knees. “Can you silence this area? I don’t want anyone snooping”.  
With a large movement of his wand and a whispered word, Heather felt they were safe now. People would see them, but to sound would go through the barrier.  
“There. Now, from the beginning”, he said and rested his face in his hand, listening attentively.  
Heather took a deep breath before starting. She told him she had come to Hogsmeade a week before classes and found a place to stay and work, and there she had met a man. They had spent the night together, and then other nights, and then an afternoon, and he seemed to always come back to see her again. As the time to start school arrived, she had to finish it.  
“But why, exactly?”, Davon interrupted. “Hogwarts is in Hogsmeade and you are free to go there whenever you want-“  
“I know that, and I knew it then. But I had to stop it. I hadn’t told him anything about me, about being a student; I didn’t want to complicate things. I wasn’t looking for anyone, I didn’t want a relationship or anything of the sort, so I never told him anything about me, and never asked anything about him either. So I decided it was best for both of us just to finish and let it go”.  
“So hold on. You’re actually not together? You’ve just been, but not anymore?”  
“Well…”  
He laughed aloud, closing his eye in delight. “I’m loving this! Please go on”.  
“How could I know, Davon? I knew nothing about him, and then school started and I look up at the staff table, and there he is! Oh, Gods, I thought I was going to pass out, mu stomach dropped, I felt cold! He was a teacher, and I had been shagging him insanely for days now!”  
“Oh, my Lord, this is so good!”  
“It’s not good!”, Heather said, irritated. “It’s not, it’s wrong. I tried to stay away. I had finished it, but then he demanded to know why I had lied to him and then I just, blurted out—“, she interrupted herself  
“What? What did you blurt ou?”  
“That I…”, she breathed, lowering her head. “That I said I was leaving and we couldn’t be together because…I had feelings for him”.  
Davon said nothing and when Heather lifted her head to look at him, he was smiling largely, his hands in his own cheeks.  
“What, Davon?”, Heather said even more pissed now. “It’s horrible, don’t you see it? He’s my teacher! I’m a student! There’s so much more to that story than you’re imagining. It’s not a romantic novel, Davon, this is serious!”  
“Ok, sorry”, he said, smile fading but still smirking, and lowering his hands. “When did you tell him that?”  
“He went looking for me in the first weekend after school started and demanded answers”.  
“And what happened when you told him that?”  
“We fucked, what else!”, she blurted and Davon giggled  
“Sorry, sorry, again!”, he said. “And it’s been going on since then?”  
“Yes. We did spend a few days apart after a little quarrel, but then yesterday he looked for me and apologized”.  
“Oh, wait. Professor Severus Snape apologized?!”  
“Yes”, she said and smiled in spite of herself  
“Incredible”.  
“Yes, I know. Oh, Davon, this is just so…”  
“Wait, hun, just think about it. It is that bad? You met a guy, he was not supposed to be your teacher, and it’s not neither of your faults. And you fell in love with him, it’s only natu—“  
“—No, no, wait! I didn’t fall in love with him!”, Heather said turning to face Davon. “I never said that!”  
“Oh, you didn’t? I’m sorry, I thought I head that”.  
“It’s not funny, Davon, really. I did say I what starting to have feelings for him, but from that to having fallen in love, you must agree it’s a long way”.  
“Ok, hun, just breath”, Davon said and did breathe before going on. “So you told him you… Had feelings for him… And he just kissed you and had sex with you all over again after you were finished?”  
“Yes”, Heather answered plainly.  
“And when you were together before school started, did he go looking for you?”  
“Yes”, she said again and looked up, thinking for a moment. “Every time, actually”.  
“And he was the one who went to you to ask question?”  
“Yes, where are you going with this, Davon?”  
“Heat, honey, are you going blind? He was always the one going after you, or am I wrong?”, he said and saw Heather try to speak, but moved on. “You’re blinded by your own fear to go on with this and see what happens, but I can see it. This, and the way he looked at you at the party, and today at breakfast”.  
“See what, Davon?”, Heather asked quietly  
“He has feelings for you. Well, as you said you’re not in love, you just ‘have feelings’ for him, then I’ll also use this terminology”.  
She gapped at her friend, not able to say anything now. Was Severus in love with her? Not in love! Just developing feelings!  
“Pretty obvious, at least to me. But stop looking like a fish and tell me, my dear.. How is it?”  
“It?”  
“Yes, things with him. One can’t even imagine how a man like Professor Snape is in the intimacy”.  
“Well, it’s…”, she stopped and thought for a moment. “It’s not romantic. It’s not like other stories you hear around. It started completely and crucially physical, it was attraction at first sight. Literally, I was singing and I saw him across the bar, and that was it. Next thing I knew I was taking him to my room. And it’s still kinda like that. We don’t talk a lot, because... Well, probably because of me. I don’t use to talk too much about my… Past. But there’s something. I don’t know how to explain that. It’s easy to be around him, I don’t feel like I need to pretend to be someone I am not. It...”, she paused again and looked away, towards the forest. “It feels right”.  
Davon didn’t say anything at that, he just het her with her thoughts for a moment. When Heather looked at him again, he was silently smiling at her.  
“What?”  
“Oh, honey, are you in trouble!”  
She stared at him for a moment. “Seems like I am. More than you guess, actually. It doesn’t matter that I am of age; relationships between student and teacher are forbidden, terribly frowned upon. If someone finds out… Davon, I can’t lose this school. I can’t risk being expelled. I’ve been dedicating the last six years of my life to the chance to be here, no finish my studies in the best school in the world. If something happens, it’s those years and all my future just thrown away. It’s too risky, I’m scared of it. I am scared of the feelings I have for him now, but I am even more scared of getting caught and loosing everything I have fought for”. Heather lowered her head to her hands, shaking it from side to side. “It’s no good. I should have ended it for good when I saw him here. And this is what I have to do now”, she raised her head and looked again at Davon. “I have to finish it”.  
Davon reached for Heather’s hand and pulled it to him, resting in his lap. “Dear, all I can tell you is to really think that through before you do something you might regret later. Just think: what if no one ever finds out? Professor Snape had been a spy for half his life and never got caught. I think if you tell him your worries he will tell you that as well. He can hide a secret, just… I don’t know, follow his lead, be discreet, keep on with your school work, but don’t deprive yourself from something that can be so good for you”.  
“I didn’t want a relationship”.  
“So what? Do you have to be seriously looking for a man to marry; otherwise you won’t accept a chance to be happy with someone?”  
“You don’t understand, Davon…”  
“All I’m asking is for you to wait. Think before you do something, try to talk to him about it, or figure out what those feeling you said are. Just don’t be harsh, ok?”  
Silently, Heather squeezed Davon’s hand and smiled sadly at him. He was right. That was something she could do.


	9. Salem

Chapter 9 – Salem

September 30th , 2001  
Severus Snape was a private man. He enjoyed his rooms, they were brighter and more alive than it had been in the dungeons, and he usually preferred to have his breakfast in there, alone, most days of the week. He used to ask house elves to prepare and bring it to him, and he could have all that he liked in the calm bliss of his solitude. It was a good way to wake up and prepare for the day, to face his dunderhead students.  
For the past weeks, though, he noticed he'd been staying in his quarters less frequently. Going to the Great Hall for breakfast was more common now, and he took a while denying to himself what was the reason of that. But damn him if he kept lying to himself. He promised that there would be no more lies in his life, and had to remember that it should include himself. No, after those weeks holding it back and pretending there was nothing happening, he had had that incredible night with Heather in her quarters, and it was finally stronger than him.  
It had been amazingly hot. He hadn't thought that sleeping with her could get any better; it had been amazing since the very first time, but that was a great surprise. The most intimate they got, the hotter it was, the most given and open she was to him, and he felt even more into her, given to the moment, entirely there with her. And her soft creamy skin, her eyes, her smile, and her voice whispering his name and telling him to… Fuck. He almost groaned at his place in the High Table where he sat now. Not a good place to have those thoughts.  
But that is not all and you know it, his mind kept wondering out of his control. No, there was something about her, a mystery and deepness in those eyes, like a person who had seen the worst things and was still capable of holding some sweetness, of having moments of complete surrender and devotion and openness; but still being so private and so closed. There was definitely something about her, and Severus found himself willing to find it out, to break through her, to open a hole on her walls and climb in. Why?, he had asked himself many times now. Why did he want that? More than want, why couldn't he stop thinking about it and about her? He hadn't open himself for those foolishness, not now and not ever in his life, so why was this happening to him now? Are you stupid or what?, his mind barked at him. It was too damn obvious.  
Like a magnet attracting his eyes, he looked suddenly to the front doors of the Great Hall right when Heather entered wearing her uniform and her bag hanging on one shoulder, with her guy friend on her side. They talked smiling and waked over to other two Ravenclaws and sat with them. Immediately after she sat down he saw her eyes seek for something, and find it in him. They locked eyes in the distance and he gave up instantly on denying or trying to understand. The answer was right there, inside his tight chess and the almost uncontrollable desire to smile.  
She tore her eyes away from him a moment later when an owl dropped an envelope in front of her. Severus watched her take it somewhat excitedly, but it vanished in a moment when she registered the writing on it. Her smile dropped and her eyes hardened. He knew there was something wrong. Silently leaving the conversation around her, Heather opened the envelope and the letter inside, starting reading it quickly. Severus could see her eyes sweeping over the parchment and her frown go deeper at each read line. Clutching the paper in her hand, she stood up, said something briefly to the other ones and walked out of the great hall in long, quick strides.  
Before he could think, Severus was also on his feet and leaving the High Table, walking slowly to the side door. Once he was out of people's view, though, he fastened his steps through the corridors until he reached the Main Stairs Hall. The place was empty now and it was easy to find Heather's figure running up a moving stairs, having already reached the second floor.  
"Hea…", Severus started but stopped himself. Now almost running after her, he looked around before trying again, "Miss Sebastian!"  
She didn't give any signs of having heard him, as she still ran up. With longer legs than her, he was quickly just one floor below her, and he tried again, "Miss Sebastian?"  
She reached the third floor now and entered the corridor, Severus on her trail. When he got to the corridor, he saw the portrait that hid the corridor where her room was swing closed. He held it before it could completely close and entered the corridor. In front of her door, Heather had stopped running. She has her palms resting against the wooden door, head bent low between her arms, breathing heavily.  
Severus let the portrait close behind him before speaking. "Heather". She didn't look up, but he saw her take a sharp breath. "Is there something wrong?", he asked, and then mentally slapped his forehead. Stupid question, obviously something is wrong. He approached her slowly, as if she was a scared animal, but didn't say anything else. When he stood right on her side, Heather lifted her head and looked at him. Her eyes were clouded with tears and her face wet. Her chin trembled when her eyes met his. She whispered a word that he didn't catch, lost as he was at the surprise to see her cry, and the door opened with a click. He walked in right after her. Heather didn't mind about the door or about hosting the man inside her rooms. Nervously, she started pacing in front of the couch and dried her face angrily.  
"She doesn't deserve it", Severus heard Heather say to herself. She wasn't looking at him.  
"Heather, what happened?", he asked, closing the door. "Whose letter was that?"  
She took the crumpled parchment from her pocket and gestured with it to Severus. "This is from my sweet, beloved mother", she spit. "I can't believe this!", she said angrily throwing the paper on the coffee table and pacing again.  
Silently, Severus walked to the center of the room and, looking at Heather to see if she would be opposed to that, took the letter. She looked at him holding it now, but didn't say anything and just moved to the window, crossing her arms and looking out. Seeing that as an authorization for him to read, he looked down at the parchment. It was a small message, an elegant handwriting in an expensive looking ink.  
Heather,  
It came to my knowledge that my son Jonathan has received a letter from your sending in his school. I wonder how you came to get the information of his whereabouts. I surely do hope you are not investigating or stalking this family.  
With this information, the interesting new that you are currently in the United Kingdom, more specifically in Hogwarts School, also got our attention.  
I hope you enjoy your time there, for it is going to be absolutely shorter than you might expect. Your father and I are going to write to the Board of the school, in which we have great contacts, and make sure they put an end to this nonsense. Hogwarts is the best school in our world, and I'm certain that it would not want to be paid with the unclean money that only the Gods know how you managed to arrange.  
Best wishes in your life outside Hogwarts,  
Theophilia and Adolphus Sebastian.  
"Lovely woman, isn't she?", Heather said when he raised his eyes from the letter  
"It's signed by both of—"  
"— She's the one who wrote it. It's dripping Theophilia all over".  
"Heather, whatever reason she has to tell you those things, I don't think she will be able to actually convince the Board about anything".  
"She always gets what she wants, Severus!", she snapped and started pacing again. "She has contacts; how haven't I known she had contacts in Hogwarts? Damn rich, noble family from hell. Fuck, I can't believe this is happening!"  
"Heather", Severus said walking over her and making her stop. "Calm yourself. The Board of School is not that easily manipulated. If you paid for the entire term, the only way they will expel you is if you break some important rule—"  
"—Like sleeping with a teacher?"  
Severus was taken aback by that and, for one of the first times in his life, didn't know how to answer. Heather breathed out and walked away from him, back to the window. "You have no idea what she is capable of, Severus. You don't know what she's done to me".  
Her voice was quiet and soaked in bitterness as she looked outside, not really seeing anything. Severus approached her again, stopping right behind her, and rested a hand on her shoulder. He saw her head drop at his touch.  
"Why don't you tell me?"  
She was silent for a few seconds before turning and leaning against the window, looking up at him. "I never told it to anyone", she said quietly. "I don't think I ever said out loud what happened".  
"It's time do to so, then", he said taking her hand in his and pulling her to the living room, sitting beside her on the couch.

Five years earlier

February 17th, 1996  
A narrow, silent street, completely empty at that time of the afternoon was only disturbed by a young couple who walked quickly, gloved hands entwined. They wore hats and scarves trying to hide their faces from the cutting cold air from Salem. When they reached the last house in the street, before the next corner, they stopped.  
Heather looked up at the two stored house. The front porch was directly on the sidewalk and it gave space only to a wooden bench. It was a charming place and she longed for some warmth, but she was anxious. Looking again at the boy, she squeezed his hand.  
"Are you sure they're not home?", she asked in a shaky voice  
Ryan smiled and pulled her closer, a hand reaching up to put a lock of hair inside her hat. "I'm sure. They work all day; I'm always alone when I come back from school. Also, they don't mind if I bring friends home. I know", he said quickly when he saw Heather open her mouth to speak, "that you are nor just a friend. But I didn't tell them that I have a girlfriend yet. I will, though. Please, come in, we're freaking freezing out here".  
She nodded, smiling nervously, and let him guide her to the porch and inside the house. It was warm and a comfortable light entered the windows. Ryan took Heather's coat and hang it inside the closet with his own. Taking off the hat, gloves and scarf, Heather followed Ryan upstairs, still nervous but not too hesitantly. He closed the door behind them. The house was silent and Heather could feel a good energy, a warm, loving vibration, and understood why Ryan as the way he was.  
She had met him in a party three days before. She knew it was a real short time, but she had never felt that thing before. She had obviously found him cute when she first saw him; probably every girl in that room was thinking the exact same thing. He had a radiant white smile and honey eyes, which contrasted with his dark skin. A cousin of his knew someone Heather's friend knew, and somehow she had managed to get to that muggle teenage party with this muggleborn friend, Sarah, from the Salem Institute, where she and Heather were in the fifth year.  
Her parents couldn't even dream that she had been there. They frowned upon her friendship with Sarah, but it hadn't seemed to them that it would be a very lasting friendship, so they hadn't done anything about it. They were purebloods from a noble, ancient family from Salem, and couldn't imagine their older daughter being related to mudbloods. She never cared, though. Heather absolutely adored Sarah, they had been like sisters from the moment they met in their first year, and she had no problems at all with relating to non-purebloods. Actually, doing it behind her parents back felt incredibly good.  
Ryan had approached her and offered a beer. The party was in someone's basement and an older friend had bought the drinks. Nobody there, except for Sarah, knew Heather was a witch, and she had never felt so free in her life. Other girl's envy looks in their direction amused her; she was with the cutest boy in the party. They had kissed and drunkenly made out that night, but they had also talked a lot, completely leaving the rest of the party going on without them. He had walked her back to her block; she had told him not to go to her house, she knew the problems it could bring her. In the next day and the following, they had met after each one's school, and quickly like this, it seemed they couldn't spend a day without seeing each other.  
Now she was in his bedroom, tangled with him in bed, and he was such a good kisser… Heather was almost sixteen, and this was not the first boy she had kissed, but it was definitely the first one to make her feel like that, and that was really good. She gave herself to him that day, her first time, and it had taken hours. It was slow, tentative and sweet, a perfect first time for both of them. After, when they were sleepily lying in his bed, Ryan said he had never felt like this before. He was in love with her.

April 2nd, 1996  
Heather's sixteenth birthday was on a Tuesday. She got all sorts of presents from her parents, a dinner with them and her little brother, and her Sweet Sixteen party was scheduled to happen on the next Saturday. It was almost perfect, except for the fact that she wanted more to be with Ryan than with Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian and their formal dinner and expensive food. When the family went to bed and the house fell silent and dark, Heather waited for more than one hour before adventuring out. On the tip of her toes, she grabbed her coat and slid out the doors and to the street. Half hour later, she was silently running towards Ryan, who was waiting for her in front of his house. He kissed her and whispered his happy birthday in her ear, Silently, he took her inside his house and down to the basement, where nobody would go at that time of the night, and nobody would hear their birthday celebration.  
A few feet from the house, on the cold night outside, the disillusioned form of her father watched. He took a calming breath, rage filling him and threatening to burst away, but he took control over himself. Turning around, he apparated back to the Sebastian Manor.

April 3nd, 1996  
The first lights of the day were starting to invade the manor when Heather silently slipped in through the wooden doors, tiptoeing on her sneakers. When she reached halfway up the stairs, a massive shadow appeared in front of her, right on the top floor. She stopped dead and looked up to see her father glaring down at her. There was silence. Heather knew what it meant. His eyes were narrowed and dark in rage, and her heart sank to the stomach when he saw he had his wand in hand. The moment they looked at each other seemed to extend for hours. Her fear rose even more when another figure showed up behind him. Her mother had her arms crossed and chin up, looking disgusted at her. They didn't have to say a word; Heather knew what it meant.  
Holding her breath, Heather turned around and ran down the stairs, her feet thumping loudly on the wood. Before she could reach the bottom, though, she saw the room before her being lit up by her father's hex light, and then she was falling, rolling down, landing on her side on the bottom of the stairs. Before she could regain her ability to move, as her painful ribs didn't let her breath normally, she heard heavy steps approaching her; Next thing she knew she was being lifted up, her father's strong hands grabbing her upper arm. She screamed in pain and fear, and all she could hear was his deep, ragged breath as he dragged her to the drawing room and threw her to the floor again. Before he could do his next move, Heather looked at the door, hopping for a way to escape, and saw her mother calmly enter an shut the door behind her. Arms still crossed, she just stood there and observed.  
Adolphus used his wand and his hands to punish his teenage daughter for slipping out of the house in the middle of the night, for relating to a muggle, for having sex in such a young age, and especially with someone with such a dirty blood and disgusting skin color, for dishonoring her noble family's name and for embarrassing her parents before the wizarding society if someone found that out.  
It seemed to last for days to Heather, but it was just about two hours. He just stopped beating her when he felt tired, not caring about her bleeding lips and eyebrows, the bruises on her face, arms and probably around the whole body. When he left, Heather limp on the floor, crying desperately, Theophilia approached her, looking down, arms still crossed, lips twisting in a sickened expression. She took out her wand and Heather flinched. She couldn't take anymore, she preferred to just pass out to go through it again. But her mother just moved her wand a few timed up and down her body, murmuring a few spells, and Heather felt the cuts on her face close and stop bleeding and her cracked ribs getting fixed. The pain didn't do away, though. Theophilia had just fixed what could get worse with the time, but then turned around and left her girl there, in pain, crying and humiliated.

April 5th, 1996  
She couldn't leave her bedroom for the next two days. Theophilia send the house elf to her with food two times a day, but even Tatter, the creature who had practically raised Heather, didn't speak a word to her, though she looked at her with loving, tearful eyes. Even Jonathan was forbid to go to her.  
When the pain was gone and all that remained was the humiliation, dread and a painful fear and longing for Ryan, Heather was once again visited by Mr. Sebastian, who without a word crossed her bedroom and grabbed her arm. She cried and screamed, asking what he was going, but the just dragged her out of the bedroom and to the aparating area of the house. Her mother was waiting for them there and, without giving Heather time to prepare, they vanished from the house.  
After a moment of dizziness, Heather freaked out. She was not standing, still firmly held by her father, in the living room of the Russell's house. It was Ryan's house.  
A couple stormed down the stair, having heard the loud crack of apparition, but completely unaware of what that was. The husband, a big, tall black man, stood in front of his wife as to protect her and shouted to know who they were.  
"Do you know who this girl is?", Theophilia said in a loud, firm voice, and her husband pushed Heather in front of them  
The man looked confused at Heather and saw she was crying and hurt. He felt for her, but he had never seen her before and he just wanted to know what those strangers were doing in his living room.  
"No, I've never seen her before! Who the fuck are you?"  
Heather saw her father's wand being pointed by her side, directly at the man's face. "Run! Please, just run!", she shouted, but there was no time for anything else. A red light and the Russell couple were stunned on the foot of the stairs.  
"Why? They have nothing to do with this!", she shouted again, trying to move away from her father's strong grip  
"Shut up!", he yelled, pushing her towards the stairs, where they walked through the stunned couple and upstairs  
"Where is his room?", Theophilia asked  
"No! No, please!"  
"Where – is – it?", she asked again  
"I'm not telling! Please, leave him alone. I promise I'll never see him again, please!"  
"Well, you see", she said calmly and approached her daughter, suddenly grabbing her hair and puling strongly, making Heather scream again. "That is not enough. That disgusting boy will pay for laying his filthy hands in a pureblood witch", and she looked calmly directly to her daughter's eyes. "With you, we'll deal later".  
With that, she walked in front of Heather and Adolphus opening the doors on the hallway, looking for Ryan. When she opened the third one, she stopped and smiled looking inside. Adolphus dragged Heather to stand behind her, and Heather saw Ryan sitting in a chair with his back to the door, listening to music on his headphones. Heather screamed, trying to get his attention, but even from far she could hear the faint sound of the loud music. Theophilia slowly and silently walked in, followed by her husband, and closed the door behind them. Heather knew her arms must be bruised with the marks of his fingers gripping her, but that was the last of her worries. She fought to escape and get to her boyfriend, but as quickly as his parents, he was attacked; not stunned, but he flew from the chair, landing heavily on his bed and sliding to the floor.  
Desperately scared, he turned to them and looked terrified. "Heather?", he was able to ask  
"Yes, Heather, you filthy creature", Theophilia said and flicked her wand in Heather's direction. Her voice was immediately cut, but she still tried to scream and convince them to stop whatever they planned on doing to the innocent boy who was still on the floor.  
"Get up and go sit over there", her mother said, pointing the wand at him. "Now".  
Heather could see the fear in Ryan's eyes. He looked at her, seeing she was being hurt, and obeyed.  
"You're hurting her", he told Adolphus as he sat down. "This is not necessary".  
"Shut up, scum".  
"Stop calling me those things!", Ryan said, now starting to get irritated. "What's this you're pointing at me anyway?"  
"See that, Heather?", Adolphus said. "He doesn't even know what a wand is. How can you relate to someone like him? How is that possible you thought we'd be ok with that?"  
"We didn't come here to talk", said Theophilia, still calm. "I don't want to be in this kind of environment longer that I must".  
Heather only had time to struggle one more time to get rid of her father before she froze. She heard her mother say "Obliviate" in a cold, clear voice. A small light lit in the tip of her wand, and then Ryan's eyes were glassy, fixed on it. For a moment, Heather thought it was going to be ok. She was only going to delete her from his memories, and if it was the best for him, she would let it go, accepting it. Heather cared too much about Ryan to get him into trouble a second time.  
But she'd had a Theoretical Charms course at Salem Institute, and she knew how long the spell took to have an effect on the attacked person.  
"That's enough!", she said after ten seconds. "He's forgotten about me, it's enough".  
Her mother still held the wand, concentrated on the spell, and she wasn't stopping. Heather started to yell at her to stop, and her father dragged her closer to the door, away from the spell, and slapped her face. The spell was working for almost a minute now, and Heather knew the damage it would make.  
"Please…", Heather cried, now with no forces to scream anymore. "You're ruining him… Please stop".  
"Look at him, Heather. Look at you little boyfriend", her father said close to her ear. "When she finishes it, he'll have nothing. He'll be nothing. And that's the price one pays for messing with our family. Do you understand that? That is the price you pay for trying to confront us. It's your fault and yours alone. You did this to him".  
Ryan's bedroom was silent when Theophilia lowered her wand, looking down at him proudly. His eyes were fixed on nothing, glazed, empty. In a moment they closed, rolling back, and the boy passed out, falling from the chair to the floor. Heather tried to go to him, being once again stopped. He had passed out from brain exhaustion, and Heather knew when he woke up there would be nothingness. No more memories, no more life experiences, not any knowledge, from the basic ones like walking and talking. She knew the Ryan she had met and been together for less than two months no longer existed.  
Theophilia came closer and stood in front of her. "You have only yourself to blame". And, with this, she held her husband's hand and they apparated away.

April 14th, 1996  
Sarah had heard news from common friends she had with Ryan. It seemed he had been stricken by a brain condition that no one could explain, and was now completely blank. Friends were mourning his lost and hoping for a miracle, which the doctors were already discarding. No one could mourn and suffer more than his parent, though. They didn't remember what had happened that night, they could just tell that, when they got to Ryan's bedroom, he was on the floor, crying like a baby, as had never been the same again after that.  
More than mourning and suffering for her former boyfriend, Heather blamed herself just like her parent had told her to. She knew that she should have foreseen that something was going to happen; that if her parents found out she was seeing a muggle. A muggle they would call, in their words, colored, nonetheless.  
I should have known.  
It was my fault.  
I've ruined his life. His family's life.  
He loved me and that's what happened to him.  
I hurt people.  
I don't deserve to be loved again.  
Sarah was the only one who knew what had happened, but just like Heather, she had her hands tied. The Sebastians were a very wealthy, influent family in the US, with contacts and power inside the Aurory and the Government itself. Reporting them would be like pointing the want at their own faces. Sarah constantly tried to convince Heather that it was not her fault; that this was exactly what her parents wanted her to feel; that it was their doing, not hers, but she couldn't be convinced. At the end, her plea was that if Ryan had never dated her, he'd still be himself; he'd still have a whole, brilliant future before him.  
For those weeks that followed that fateful day, Heather's parents didn't talk to her, but didn't punish her any further. She had spent every minute she was in the house locked in her bedroom. She went normally to school and still dedicated completely to the studies as she had always done, now with one more goal in mind: graduate when the time came and disappear from Salem and from the Sebastian's sight. Forever.  
Today it had been exactly eight weeks since Heather had had her first time with Ryan; eight weeks and two days since she had met him. She kept repeating those dates to herself, unable to believe it had been such a short time before. It seemed like a lifetime. Everything had changes in those eight weeks, and not just in her life. She was scared to death that it was going to change even more at this moment.  
"I can't look", she said a turned her back to the sink, trying to leave the toilet  
"You have to", Sarah said, holding her by the shoulders. "Looking at it or asking me to look won't change the result. Please, just do it".  
Already crying, Heather knew what the result would be. She'd been having characteristic symptoms and, more than just that, she just knew. But knowing didn't prepare her for the moment she saw the result on the muggle test. She felt to the floor desperately crying, Sarah holding her. Hadn't everything that happened been enough? Hadn't seeing her own parents attack and destroy her boyfriend been enough? Apparently not. Now she was finding herself pregnant with his baby, and completely alone. She couldn't tell her mother, she wouldn't ever tell them.  
But at the same time, she thought on the next few days, she just wouldn't be able to finish this pregnancy. She couldn't kill Ryan's baby; it was everything that lasted from him. She thought about going to his parents and telling she was his girlfriend before what happened and tell them they'd have a grandchild; but what would that do to the family? They were now spending all the money they had trying to treat their son, as using all of their energy taking care of him. No, she couldn't throw another bomb for them to take care of. Also, she knew she'd be putting then in risk as well as she had put Ryan. She'd have to do it by herself, and that needed to be as far as possible from Salem.  
She was only sixteen, though. She was still close to finish her fifth year at school, but if she had to choose, whish she did, she'd keep the baby. Two weeks after finding out she was pregnant, she already had a plan in mind. To hell with school. She'd be a mother, and that would happen far from her parents' eyes. The solution was aunt Violet, her father's older sister who had been disinherited by the family years ago when she started working as a volunteer in a muggle nursing home. She had left Salem and moved to California, where she married a muggle woman – another reason for her beein disinherited was that she had told everyone she was a lesbian and proud of it – and adopted three sons. Heather knew aunt Violet would understand her situation and be there for her.

May 15th, 1996  
Heather decided to remain in Salem and in her parents' house just until her OWLs. She didn't want to waste a year of hard work and good grades at school, and if in the future she wanted to go back to school, she's need at least those grades. She wasn't showing too much, and it was easy to hide with larger clothes. Her mother never got close to her enough, anyway. As a sign of her support, Sarah had given her a very small baby onesie in white. Heather had cried, her mother instinct slowly starting to claim her heart, and hid the small pie of cloth in her closet. She had a big problem, though, when it came to her pregnancy symptoms. She was suffering for morning sickness and heartburn and felt sleepy all the time like she never had before.  
She started waking up earlier, despite her sleepiness, to be able to go through her daily sickness with less fear than anybody would hear. On her nightshirt, kneeling before the toilet seat, Heather heard the door open and steps come close to her. Scared and taking a deep breath to try and control her stomach movements, she looked up to see her mother staring down at her, the disgusted look on her face again.  
Tightly held on her hand, a small white piece of cloth. She raised her hand and let it fall into the dirty toilet. Heather looked down to see her baby's onesie sink into it. Her stomach still turning, she felt tears fall from her eyes, no energy to help it.  
"I am not having a mudblood grandchild", her mother started. "You are going to end this pregnancy".  
"No!", Heather said among tears. "I won't!"  
"Get up and clean yourself. Tatter!", she raised her voice and, in a second, the house elf popped into the toilet. She saw Heather on the floor, a mess of tears and vomit, and motioned slightly to help her. Theophilia stretched a leg in front of her and Tatter stopped, looking up at her mistress with big, scared eyes.  
"Go to Orchid's Potions e bring me two vials of Apstraho".  
Heather screamed again but Tatter obeyed. She was able to get up now and her mother told her to clean up before going back to her bedroom. When she left, her mouth washed but tears still falling from her eyes, Theophilia was sitting in an armchair close to Heather bed.  
"Mother…", she said, her voice weak. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was afraid—"  
"You were afraid I'd be angry and put you on a detention?", she said calmly, her voice painfully sweet. "And I've told you already: call me Mum".  
Heather swallowed hard. "Mum… I was afraid but I… I was going to tell you", she lied. She had never had the intention on telling her parents she was pregnant. "I just didn't know how. I knew you'd be upset".  
"Upset is a very soft word", she spat harshly, but then her voice became sweet again. "I don't have any reason to be upset any further, though. I told you, my dear: I am not having a mudblood grandchild".  
"But Mum, I—"  
"—This is not up for discussion, Heather Sarah. You are going to take the potion and terminate it. And then everything will be back to what it was before this… Disruption".  
"But Mum, please—"  
"Silencio", she cut having her wand quickly and Heather felt her tongue glue to her palate. "This is not your decision. You are a Sebastian. And as you do not have regular mental faculties or common sense to make your own decisions, we will do it for you as your responsible parents".  
I want to keep the baby", Heather could only think, screaming in her head. As she thought of turning to the door and running away, Tatter reappeared carrying two glass vials, and Theophilia was up and gesturing her wand to the door. It slammed shut as she slowly turned to her daughter, Tatter placing the vials in her hands and disappearing.  
"Drink them", she said and Heather shook her head, eyes wide open, walking backwards. "Are you really going to pot on a fight with me over this? Over a filthy mudblood unborn child?"  
My child!, she thought pointing to herself, a look of fear and loath to her mother  
"I will not discuss it any further", Theophilia said and lost completely her cool. She advanced to the scared teenager and slapped her in the face strongly before grabbing her cheeks and forcing her to turn and face her. She wrestled, Theophilia trying to dip the contents of the vial in her mouth and Heather fighting will all she had. Her mother was taller and stronger than her. Heather was a skinny, short girl, and had no chance in the fight. She ended up on her back, her mother straddling her, holding her head and dropping the potion in her mouth. She tried to spit, but Theophilia forced her jaw closed and clapped her nose. Heather fought, her legs bouncing, truing to make her mother unhand her, but soon she was out of breath, her lungs desperately fighting for air.  
The natural reaction of her body was to swallow. She did, but didn't stop fighting. Theophilia yelled for Tatter again when she saw her daughter swallow and gave her the order to watch her and do not let her go to the toilet to force vomit. She got up, leaving a desperately crying Heather on the floor, smoothed her clothes and hair and turned to the door, saying, "I'll be back tomorrow to give you the other vial. You know you have to take it now or it will be stillborn".

June 21st, 1996  
That Friday marked the end of the OWLs in Salem Institute. Heather handed her last theoretical test and joined Sarah in the hall outside the salon where they had been handed.  
"So, that's it", Sarah smiled at her friend. "Fifth year done, two to go".  
"I'm not returning for next term, Sarah", Heather said seriously  
"What?", she stopped and turned to Heather. "What do you mean, Heat?"  
"Sh, not so loud!", Heather said. "I mean it. I'm leaving my house. My parents' house, I mean. I just remained there all this time after they did so I'd take my OWLs. I swallowed it all down for more than a month after what she did. I can't take it anymore".  
"What are you gonna do?"  
"I still don't know. Maybe California with aunt Violet, but I'm not sure. Boston, probably. I can't stay under them anymore".  
"What about school?"  
"I'll get a job this summer and when I return to sixth year I'll have my own place to live. I won't depend on them anymore. My school is already paid until the end of seventh year, so I believe it'll be ok".  
Skeptical, Sarah tried to make Heather think of more details than her angry mind had been able to think, whilst trying to convince her not to do it. She was sure her friend would have too many problems, and that it would be worth it to stay there for the next two years and, just then, move from their house. Heather was decided, though. They had ruined Ryan's life. They had killed her baby.  
In dinner that night, her father raised a glass to celebrate the end of her OWLS and she didn't even try to force a smile. She just said a weak 'thank you' and kept eating. In her bedroom upstairs, a backpack with a few clothes and toiletries waited for the moment. Hours later everybody went to bed and Heather waited a few more moments until the usual noises she knew so well from her house had died. She then grabbed her pack and stopped by her younger brother's bedroom to say goodbye before silently slipping out of the house.

August 10th, 1996  
Heather stepped out of a bus in Forest Street, in Peabody, city next to Salem, and walked down the dark sidewalk. It was past nine thirty in the night and the street was silent. She had never been to Peabody before going to the Altman's place, and had loved it. Perhaps it was just for it representing a new part of her life, away from Salem and the Sebastian's power on the wizarding community, but she did love it either way. She was going to miss it.  
Since the day she escaped her parents' house, she'd been staying with Sarah's parents. They had been very supportive and didn't ask too many questions. Sarah had already told them her parents were controlling and that they had done something horrible to her, but didn't say what. Heather was able to convince them not to look for them and tell she was in their place, thinking they would be worried. But as the days passed and Heather didn't hear from them, she breathed relieved. They were not going after her.  
During the holidays, Heather got a part-time job in a restaurant in Peabody and another in a bar in Lynn. She worked all day, commuting by bus through the cities, and was doing a good job and being fairly paid. The Altmans strongly refused her offer to pay for her stay in their house. She adored them and was so thankful for what they did for her, but now it was time to walk on her own two feet. The bar in Lynn had an empty room upstairs, in which she would live now after being offered a full time opportunity there. Days later, she asked if she could sing a song with a musician who was playing that night, and the bar owner got astounished by her voice. Once a week now she'd sing and get a lot of tips.  
Now she just had to get home, tell her friend and her parents she'd be leaving, and quit the job in the restaurant.

August 29th, 1996  
Heather had imagined it could happen. She knew the Sebastians. She knew her parents were calculating and vindictive. But at the time, she had refused to believe what her own mind was foreseeing.  
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I get it", she Said, trying to understand  
"I'll tell you again then, Miss Sebastian. You do not have a seat in this school anymore", the Deputy Headmaster told her, his arms crossed  
"But my parents told me my school was completely paid, until the end of seventh-"  
"Yes, it was, Miss Sebastian", he said rolling his eyes, feigning patience. "But it's not anymore. You father told the board to take the money for these next two years and use it as a donation to the school's vault, and he told me very clearly that he was not paying for your education anymore. Therefore, Miss Sebastian, if you do not have a vault full of money to pay for sixth and seventh years, I'm afraid you do not have, as I have told you already, a seat in Salem Institute".  
She didn't know how she'd left the office and the school, and battled her own mind to accept it. She had thought it could happen, anyway. She knew, but hearing the headmaster say it to her face, and in a so cold manner… That's why her parents haven't gone looking for her. Their vengeance had already been prepared.  
So she went back to Lynn, to her work, and to the small room upstairs.


	10. Thank You

September 30th, 2001

Severus stared blankly through the window, his hands clasped on his back. He was thinking about how many evil people he had met in his death eater days and about the terrible things he had witnessed… But as hard as he tried, he could not remember any of those people doing such horrible things to one of their own children. They all might not have been loving parents, but they took care and protected their young ones with everything they had. Just like any normal human being. What the Sebastian’s had done to their daughter was despicable, to say the least.  
He understood so much about this girl now; how closed and independent and proud she was. It made sense; he had once felt that fear, or aversion to getting close to someone. He had also felt like he destroyed someone’s life because of his love and his involvement. Lilly had been killed because of that, because of him, and he had spent years, too many years, of his life blaming and punishing himself, drowning on guilt.  
But Heather was a girl. A young woman, of course, with that entire burden inside her heart. It wouldn’t do to see her drown herself in loneliness like he had in the past. If he, as stone hard as his heart was, had been able to put those feelings behind him and, only now, was opening up to someone, to Heather; then so could she. So should she.  
“I really have to go to class now”, Severus heard her sad voice in almost a whisper, and turned to her. Heather had tried her best to control and hide her tears away from him, and he understood she was not comfortable letting anyone see her cry. He had stood up and moved to the window to give her time to recover. Now she looked calmer, drying the last trails of shed tears from her cheeks.  
“Don’t worry. It’s already started now. It won’t be a problem missing just one class”, he said as he walked over to stand in front of her. “I’ll write you a note”.  
Heather sighed and looked down, away from his eyes. Severus reached up and softly held her chin, motioning her to look at him.  
“Thank you for telling me”, he whispered and caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I hope you know you won’t face whatever happens alone. McGonagall would never let a student who deserves to be here to just be expelled like that”, he said and took a step closer to her. “And I, even if I’m not part of the governors, have gained enough respect to have a voice among them as well. If necessary, I will speak for you”.  
“If necessary, I will defend myself”, she said firmly, but her sad eyes got wet again. “You don’t need to get involved”.  
“If I don’t need to, then I won’t. I know you can speak for yourself. Everything you’ve done to be here makes sure that this is very clear. You should be proud of yourself”.  
Heather snorted, looking down again, “Should I? I just face what I have to face in consequence of my own doing”.  
“Your own doing?”, Severus asked incredulously and held her by the shoulders. “Heather, do you still believe what you parents said about it all having been your fault?”  
“Well, isn’t it?”, she said looking at him again. “I did ruin Ryan’s life the moment I met him”.  
“You did not”, he said firmly. “Your parents did, it was their fault, and their fault alone. You did not ask for that to happen, you didn’t see that coming“  
“Exactly!”, she said and a tear escaped her eye. “I did not see that coming, but I should have! I knew my parents, I knew their thoughts, I should have known they would be capable of doing terrible things! I should have known, I should! And now Ryan’s life’s been stopped and my baby…”  
She broke down then and held his arms, which were still on her shoulders, and bent down in pained sobs. Severus held on to her, preventing her to fall on the floor, and hugged her tightly, her face buried in his chest. He could hear her saying “my baby” among tears. With his chest aching more than he could remember having felt for Heather, he just let her cry in his arms, stroking her hair, and slowly moved to the couch, sitting down and pulling her to his lap.  
“He’d be almost five now”, she said minutes later, still crying but a little calmer. “Or she”. Not knowing what to say to that, Severus just kissed her forehead. “And I’d be to much more screwed that I am now!”, she laughed, still crying. “But I wouldn’t care… It was my child. Ryan’s child, something he will never have”.  
That was something Severus couldn’t relate to. He had never had the opportunity of having a child, nor had he ever thought about it. It was just something that had never crossed his mind, neither for wanting one or rejecting the idea. He’d had quite a few kinds of pain in his life; but this was one he didn’t know.  
“I’m sorry”, he whispered into her hair. “I’m so sorry for your pain…”, was all he could say, and was surprised by Heather holding on to him even tighter, her face buried in his neck.  
“Thank you”, she whispered and kissed him there. “Thank you, Severus…It means a lot to me”.  
“No… I thank you, my dear”.  
* * *  
They just sat together, Heather still cuddling in his lap, for a while, during the first class time. When Heather would have to clean up to go to her Charms class and Severus to his first DADA teaching of the day, Heather sat up straight on him and cupped his cheeks, looking silently into his eyes. Severus slowly cleaned her face with his thumbs, whispering quietly a cleansing spell, and then kissed her slowly and deeply. Heather would be loss in that kiss if Severus hadn’t made her stand up and silently walked her to the door, where again he stopped just to brush his lips on hers and then to her forehead before quietly leaving her room.  
Heather closed her eyes and took a few calming deep breaths. Now that she was alone, she allowed herself to feel the ache in her chest and the pounding in her heart. She fought tears again and didn’t let them fall. She couldn’t spend her day crying over memories and fears… She felt to scared now, and didn’t even know what scared her most, if it was the possibility of her parents making her leave Hogwarts, or if it was about what she was feeling, how Davon’s words had been true. She was in love with Severus, and that was terrifying. She had never been in love with anyone else in her life after Ryan, and she had promised herself she’d never get involved for real in her life. Being involved with her would hurt any man; it would hurt Severus just like it had hurt Ryan.  
But at the same time - she smiled between breaths – she had never felt more alive that she was feeling right now. She had voiced everything that had happened to her, and little by little she felt like a weight was being lifted from her shoulders; her heart was beating fast and it felt full of something she didn’t know, but felt so good, yet foreigner. It was the most confused Heather had ever been, but allowing her heart to pump all she wanted now was that Severus had not left her room and that she could spend the day in bed with him. She had to shake herself out of that reverie and go to class. That was why she was in this castle, after all.  
* * *  
That afternoon’s Defense Against the Dark Arts class was pure torture for both of them. Severus gave the students parchments with revision activities and remained silent most part of time in his desk. Forcing herself to concentrate, Heather couldn’t help but looking up from time to time to look at him. Inevitably, they eyes met every time. By the end of class, done with the questions, Heather felt her face was quite hot and kept it down, unwilling to risk someone seeing her flushed cheeks. In the last few minutes of class, she watched him rising from his chair and walking among the rows, his billowing cloak sliding after him, his threatening, deep and quiet voice echoing on the stone walls.  
When the time was up, students rose from their desks already carrying their school bags, gave the parchment back to the teacher and ran out of the class. Heather’s friends did just that, and she pretended to be finishing the last question, motioning them to go to ahead. She was already up when the last students delivered their tests and rushed out.  
“Problems with your test?”, said the amused voice of Professor Snape as Heather walked over to his desk  
“None at all, Professor. I’m not sure if you know, but I am quite good in your subject”.  
“You’re quite good in a lot of things, Miss. Sebastian”.  
She smiled at him knowingly and placed her parchment on top of the pile. “Here’s my test, professor. I think you’re going to find it quite satisfactory. And now that class is over”, she said going around his desk. Severus turned his chair on her direction and leaned back. “can I call you Severus again?”  
“Gods, yes”.  
She leaned in and kissed him, not wasting time in teasing him softly with her lips as he had done to her before. She invaded him with her tongue, surprising him, and heard him moan in her mouth before kissing her back just as avidly, a hand reaching to hold the hair in the back of her head. She still didn’t touch him, though. Not allowing him to notice, distracted as he was by her kisse, Heather reached up under her skirt and slid her panties down, stepping carefully out of them when they hit the floor. Just then she touched him, to open his cloak and reach his belt. Severus grip on her hair tightened when he felt her fumble with it and open his trouser, releasing him.  
Heather moaned in his mouth, “So hard for me already…”  
“I’ve been hard since I saw you enter this class”.  
With his eyes closed, lost in the feelings of her almost attacking him, the next thing Severus felt was the soft, velvety wetness of her rubbing briefly against him before connecting him to her entrance and sliding down. His eyes flew wide open when she connected fully with him and groaned in pleasure.  
“Oh, fuck…”, he whispered pulling her neck down to him. “Heather”.  
Sensations rising suddenly, Heather’s fingers dig into his shoulders when she started moving up and down on him, slowly for just a minute before quickening the pace, her hips rolling in his lap. Severus moaned like a boy onto her neck, his hands grasping her waist strongly, motioning her. Heather felt her orgasm build so quickly and suddenly, that it made her cry out before throwing her head back and going quiet, trembling on Severus’s lap. When she opened her eyes, still breathless and dizzy, she saw his face contracted in pleasure, gripping her down to him, groaning his release. She observed him, a satisfied smile on her face, until he relaxed and opened his eyes again.  
“Are you trying to kill me, witch?”, he said against her lips  
“No, I just really wanted you. Couldn’t wait…”  
“I’m glad you didn’t”, he whispered before kissing her deeply again, their bodies still fully connected.  
She allowed him to kiss her for a moment before withdrawing suddenly from him. “You have a class now!”  
“Yes, and you’ve put me into the difficult situation of teaching first years with this delightful post-coitus drowsiness”.  
Heather laughed and rose from his lap, making him wetly slide out of her. He pointed his want at her and she was clean. He also got up, closing his buttons and belt as she pulled up her knickers. When they were both covered again, Severus pulled her to his chest and held her tightly. She breathed deeply into his chest, eyes closed.  
“I want to sleep with you tonight”, he said into her hair. “Let me stay with you”.  
She looked up at him, their faced very close. “I can’t. I’m working tonight; I don’t know at what time I’ll be back”.  
“I’ll meet you at Burn”.  
“I’m not working there. There’s a party outside Diagon Alley, they hired me to sing; it’s just tonight. I’m not sleeping over there, I’ll be back after the show, but I’m not sure at what time”, and, at the slightly disappointed face he had now, in spite of trying to hide it, she finished. “I’ll floo you when I get to my room, it that good?”  
“Ok”, he said and then completed sharply. “If I’m awake. Or at home. I might be at a party myself, who knows?”  
Heather laughed out loud and kissed the tip of his nose before turning and walking between the desks towards the door. “I’ll call you”, she said before leaving.  
* * *  
The fire on the hearth had just died, a small line of smoke from the ashes rising up to the chimney. Severus had dozed on his chair, a book open in his lap. He had promised himself he wouldn’t wait for a long time. If Heather didn’t look for him soon, he’d go out for drinks at Burn, even if she was not there. Half way through a chapter, though, he had fallen asleep, and when the fireplace turned green and Minerva’s head showed up, he woke up with a start and was alert in a second, but he had no idea how much time had passed.  
“Severus!”, she shrieked. “Severus, are you awake?”  
“Can’t you see me right here? Of course I’m awake. What happened?”  
“Filius and I have been called to the Ministry with urgency. I don’t have time to explain now, I’ll tell you later. You’re officially in charge until we come back. Please, Severus, wait for us to return in my office”.  
With that, she disappeared, leaving Severus astonished and worried; he grabbed his teaching cloak and hurried to Minerva’s office. There he paced his legs off waiting for them to return, picturing the most terrible outcomes to whatever had happened. Never before the Headmistress and Deputy Headmaster had been called away at the same time, and with such urgency.  
More than one hour had passed when Severus felt the wards in the castle shift for a moment, and, a second later, a loud crack of apparition. Startled he took a step back to see Minerva arrive with a hand in Flitwick’s shoulder, and holding in her other arm a very subdued Heather.  
“Here, dear, take a seat”, the Headmistress said when they stopped spinning. “Winky!”  
The house elf appeared with expectant eyes and disappeared again right after Minerva asked for a set of tea. Heather had sat on the chair in front of the desk and looked down, silent. Severus hadn’t still been able to say a work, scared about what could have happened to her.  
“An outrage!”, Filius seemed to have decided to speak first. “Those Aurors are completely out of line!”, he shrieked, pacing close to a window  
“Will anybody care to tell me that the hell happened?”, Severus stormed and saw Heather turn her head in his direction, scared to hear his voice. He hadn’t seen her eyes yet, and something cold took his stomach. Her eyes were read, smeared makeup, and when she saw him, her chin trembled and she turned around again, face in hands.  
“It was a misunderstood. No student from my house would have part in something like that!”  
Severus had never seen Filius as angry as he was now, his small form pacing and his face half-hidden by his moustache was red. He didn’t care about his colleague, though. “What. Was. It?”, he said between his teeth.  
“Miss Sebastian was working tonight outside the castle”, Minerva started, sitting across Heather by her desk. “As you know, she’s kept working while studying to afford her expenses. Tonight, the Auror’s Office ran a raid at the place she was working in and they have found illegal substances”, she said with a sneer. “They have arrested a few of the attendees, and most of who was working there, for clarifications. Miss Sebastian was taken among them”.  
“They took all of them to the temporary jail in the dungeons at the Ministry”, Filius said, outraged. “Have you seen those jail cells?”, Filius asked Severus, without expecting an answer. “It was preposterous!”  
“Calm yourself, Filius, you’re making Miss Sebastian even more nervous”, Minerva said and took a deep breath. “It has been resolved, they had nothing against her, and we took her out of there, no registries in her file”  
“Yes, yes, it’s been resolved for now, but we all know what the board is going to say about this!”, Filius said  
“The board?”, Heather looked at her Head of House, and Severus could hear the fear in her voice. “What are they going to do?”  
“They will investigate this until the end. Why was a Hogwarts student outside the castle; why was she working while she’s a student; had she really had no participation in the illicit activities…”, Minerva pointed. “We can be prepared to put up a fight”.  
“Miss Sebastian”, Severus’ voice started from somewhere behind her “is of age and duly authorized by the castle’s authorities to work at the weekends. Since the accusations from the Aurors tonight were absolutely unsubstantial, they will have no case against her”.  
“Let’s hope so, Severus”, Minerva said leaning tiredly on her chair. “Having a problem like that, perhaps on the Prophet tomorrow, and a student expelled by the board…”, she said and Severus saw Heather flinch and shrink on her place, but Minerva didn’t seem to notice. “…would be just terrible for Hogwarts’ public image. Miss Sebastian, I think you should go to your room now, you must be exhausted…”, she paused. “Before you go, though… You must know I will, and I’m sure Professor Flitwick as well, remain by your side should any difficult situations arise. But for now, my dear, and probably definitely, I fear I must deny you the right to keep working on the weekends”. She said sadly and saw Heather just close her eyes and a fat tear escape from each eye. “I am sorry, I really am, but this is a final decision. Go get some sleep now”.  
“Ok… Thank you, Professors”, she said in a weak voice, looking from Minerva to Filius, “for taking me out of there. And… I’m sorry. I’m really sorry fro bringing you this problem”. Both professors nodded at her silently and she rose from her chair, turning around to the door, where Severus was standing. “Professor”, she said respectfully, opening the door and disappearing.  
* * *  
Minerva made Severus stay in her office to discuss the situation with her and Filius. The small Ravenclaw’s Head of House was impressed to see the Potions Master defend his student, but his outrage for what happened was stronger. In about half hour, they had agreed they’d face the board on behalf of Miss Sebastian, who was a paying student as any other one and had the same right to be there as anyone. As an adult, she had had the right to go out of the castle and have a paying job, but if some of those rights needed to be taken away for the sake of the board, then the job would go, as Minerva had already told Heather.  
Flitwick and Severus left the office together. When Severus arrived on the corridor he was supposed to turn go do downstairs and to the dungeons, Filius stopped to say goodnight and keep on his way to the third floor, where his office was. Severus responded his goodnight and turned the corner of the hall, stopping there, out of his small colleague’s sight. He heard his steps fading away and gave it one more minute before following. Filius had already entered his quarters when Severus got to the third floor and stood at the portrait that hid Heather’s room’s corridor.  
Heather left the door opened after entering, since nobody else lived in that corridor. She took off her shoes, angrily throwing them across the room. Tears still stubbornly escaped her eyes, her makeup now completely undone. She paced to the door and back towards the bathroom, uncertain if she should go to shower of check the door. She kept moving there and looking outside, each moment angrier that he was not there yet. She was pacing close to the window when a movement by the door caught her attention. Severus was already in and closing the door behind him, look expectantly at her.  
“Never!”, Heather started, “In my life… Despite of so many thing I have gone through”, she paused with a sob, “have I been accused of something illegal – never! Arrested! Taken to a jail with the real guilty ones! I was just singing and they took me from the stage! Severus – I didn’t – I wasn’t! I swear!”  
“I know it, Heather”, he said walking towards her. “Nobody here doubts you. You had the two Heads of Hogwarts speaking for you and it was proved you did nothing of the sort”, he said and cupped his wet cheeks in his both hands, making her look closely to him, and said softly “Calm yourself. Nothing else can be done tonight”.  
“I’m getting expelled”, she whispered, the weakness in her voice making her sound so frail and small to Severus’ ears. His chest ached again, once more in that same day.  
“As long as I can avoid it, you’re not. Heather”, he said stepping even closer. “They might try. They might put on pressure on the school and on you, yes. But for what I already know of you, you won’t let down easily. And I assure you, I won’t as well”, he said and looked deeply at her, waiting for her to answer. With a weak sniff, she nodded. “Ok? Now, no more crying. You did nothing wrong, so you don’t deserve to cry”.  
He hugged there and she responded strongly, gripping the back of his robes. “Thank you”, she said, her voice much less weak now.  
“Anytime”.  
She let him go and turned around to enter the bathroom, where she leaned into the sink to wash her face. Severus moved to sit down on the couch to wait for her to recover and return, but stopped and rushed towards her when he heard her cry “Shit!!”  
“What?”, he said from the door. Heather was looking at the mirror, wiping her face with a hand.  
“I was looking like that all the time?!”  
He understood she was talking about her eye make up having been completely disheveled from her years. He chucked, “Yes. All the time”.  
“Shit!”, she said again leaning to the water again  
He laughed wholeheartedly at her, “Heather, this is of no concern. Just three of us saw you, and I assure you we all understood the reason behind that panda face”.  
She gasped into the towel she had grabbed to dry her face, “Panda?!”, she said outraged and threw it at him. “How gentle of you! Is that how you console a lady in distress like I am now?”  
“A lady in distress indeed”, Severus said coming closer to her, his velvety voice reaching right through her. “But that is now how I must console you”.  
“Oh? How are you doing it, then?”  
“First”, he said stopping in front of her, very closely, “I am going to wash you in hot water so your muscles will relax”. Severus leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss on Heather’s forehead. Her eyes fell closed on their own. “Then I’ll wrap you on a blanket and lay you down by the fire”. He bent his knees a little to reach down for the hem of her dress. Heather lifted her arms unthinkingly for him to slip it over her head. Severus kissed softly her nose and eyes as his hands brushed through the skin of her back and unclasped her bra, sliding it down her arms. “And when you feel good and calm again”, he whispered sliding his fingers under the waistband of her knickers and slid it slowly down, “I’ll make love to you… Long and slow… Until you forget… Everything”.  
Heather felt like she had already forgotten everything – whatever that everything was – when he slowly kissed her; but she was too happy to let him do everything he promised. Severus opened the shower and guided her under the spray, and then took off his own clothes and entered it with her. With soap and washcloth, her washed and rubbed every inch of her body, in a slow, sensual way that made her lost in want in the very first minutes. He washed her hair, his fingers massaging her scalp with the honey scented foam, and later he did the same with her conditioner. What it seemed like hours later, Severus turned off the shower and toweled her body until her skin was dry. He motioned his wand through her hair whispering a charm that dried it almost completely and, then, as he promised, guided her back to the bedroom. There he lit the fireplace and sat with her, both still naked, wrapped on a soft blanket.  
He noticed her face looked relaxed and peaceful, and he felt like it had been weeks since she saw her face like that, but it had really been just a day. That had been a real terrible day for her… But now she looked fine, and a sudden sense of proud took him. Could he do that to her? Could he really bring a woman peace, relaxation, tranquility? Well, that was new…  
As he thought about that, she stared at him, noticing his eyes dance around her face, seemingly lost in thoughts. She leaned towards him and brushed her lips on his, and it was enough to wake him up. He closed his eyes and gently kissed her back, one arm encircling her back, the other hand stroking her face and hair. Slowly, their tongues met, and then everything that existed was their bodies, the fire, the blanket. Kissing her, Severus pushed her down to her back on the carpet, and pulled the blanket to cover them. Their kiss deepened then, but it was still gentle and slow, as he had promised. Severus positioned himself between Heather’s legs and his entire body was now touching hers; he supported his weight on his elbows by her shoulders’ sided and caressed her face and hair with both hands, kissing her lips, forehead, nose and eyes. After several minutes of delighting on her tongue and skin, he heard her whimper and felt something wet and warm on his hardness. He had grown hard and hadn’t even noticed, and his erection rubbed against her folds. Moving it slightly downwards, he found her entrance and started moving in. Entering her. Going home.


	11. Presumptuous Old Naggers

The fire on the hearth was long gone, but under the blankets it was still very warm. The sun was already high in the sky, but the couple didn’t mind. Severus woke up lightly; just enough to feel Heather’s back on his chest, his knees on the back of hers, her body fitting his perfectly, her breathing deep and even, her hair tingling his nose. And her smell, a mixture of her perfume, her shampoo and the smell of their sex. He took a deep breath, burying his nose on her neck covered by her hair, and knew he was in the best place in the world. He surprised himself with the thought that he didn’t want to be anywhere else except here, in the crook of her neck, under those covers.  
She moved slowly against him and he saw her skin break in goosebumps. It was not from the cold, he knew it, their naked bodies warm enough to each other. He wanted to feel even more, if it was possible, of her skin on his, and lifted her hair from her neck, exposing it to him, sinking his face there again, his mouth meeting her warm and soft skin. Heather buried her face deeper into the pillow, arching her neck to him even more, and let a deep breath out when his tongue tasted her and his hand held her hip firmly against him. She felt his erection against her bum and pressed into it, the warmth under the blanked suddenly rising. She didn’t open her eyes or say anything, she just wanted to feel, she just wanted to be there, hidden from everything with this man, his tongue and teeth nibbling her neck and shoulder, his hand reaching between them and – she took a sharp breath and whimpered – sliding his hardness slowly down her bum to her folds – how had she turned wet so suddenly? – finding her entrance and placing himself there, his hand sliding back to her hip – and not moving again.  
He held on to her, his arm that was under her head curving to round her entire waist up, tightly, firmly against his chest, as if he wanted her body to drown into his skin, and the other hand slid slowly up to cup her breast – and he finally heard her moan, a deep throaty moan from a woman who felt complete, given, protected. It was all he wanted; with a movement of his hip against her, he started to move in and she moved back in the same rhythm, and they met in the middle, her wet, warm velvety tightness involving his hardness in a perfect fit. She felt captive and didn’t want to be set free. They moved together, always meeting in the middle, and the pace increased on its own, his arms still strongly holding her in place. He heard her murmur something but her sounds didn’t quite form words, and knew he was also whispering in her ear and she was responding and moaning and her nails were digging into his forearm. He suddenly threw the covers away, it was too hot under then, and rolled over her, making her lie on her belly and he straddled her, still deep inside, sitting up on her thighs. She whimpered loudly at the new position and he didn’t wait for her to get used to it. She was so wet and slick, he moved into and out of her, riding her out of her mind. He pounded into her, hands holding firmly her buttocks, and his head fell back, eyes closed, just feeling it, smelling and hearing it.  
“Oh, Severus!”, were her fist words of the day and he hissed on the pleasure to hear it. “God, yes!”  
She was so close already and he felt like busting up inside her. His pace strong and fast and deep in her now, he bent over to her shoulder groaning and he sank his teeth on her, making her scream in pleasure and then go silent, her hips thrusting up on him, coming hard with her eyes tightly closed and her head thrown back onto him.  
“Oh so hot”, he heard himself roar, “so fuckin’ good, my wanton witch, my fuckin’–”, he thrust once strongly, “– delicious”, another deep thrust and he felt himself tightening, “naughty witch”, he said and bit into her again, and she screamed coming down of her orgasm, pain and pleasure mixing to make her dizzy and feeling him pound on her, pinning her to the carpet, their juices rolling between her thighs, and he pushed in once again and screamed his release, thrusting through his bliss, and she felt like coming again when his cum rolled down on her, wetting and warming up her clit even more. She thrust up against him and he gasped in surprise and pleasure, still coming down he started thrusting again, his entire body jerking, and he only opened his eyes again when she started coming once again, one hand reaching back to his head to grasp his hair.  
“Fuck!”, he jerked into her even more, surprised and delighted by another gush of cum violently milked out of him. His elbows gave in and he fell down on her, his chest on her back, their breath short and hearts pounding. “Damn woman”, he was able to day. “How can…”, he fought for breath, “how do you do this?”  
He rolled out of her, no more energies to sustain his weight from crushing her, and she laughed, a breathless, full of bliss laugh, “How do I do what?”  
“I’m too old for this”, was his response and she dragged herself to lie on his chest.  
They laughed and lied together, gathering their breaths. Heather felt her eyes weighting again and welcomed the sleep that slowly took her, but a loud insistent tap in the window woke her again with a start. Severus was already sitting up with his wand in hand; seeming even more startled than her, but breathed out and relax when he saw it was just an owl.  
“Oh, the horror”, she said lazily hiding her face on the pillow  
“Damn owl”, Severus mumbled as he stood up from the floor, legs still trembling, and crossed the bedroom naked to open the window. The owl didn’t enter and flew away just as he took the note from its leg. He returned to her side and sat down, giving her the parchment. She came up on her elbows; her bum still exposed in the air, and opened it.  
And froze, all the relaxation and bliss disappearing from her face.  
“What is it?”  
“The Board”, she said, dread in her voice. “A meeting today. With the Board”.  
She got up suddenly, leaving him sitting on the carpet, and entered the bathroom. Before he could get up, Severus heard the shower running, and took the parchment to understand what the hurry was. It was for a reason, he saw: the meeting was in one hour, in the Teacher’s Lounge.  
“It says Minerva and Filius will be there. It’s probably just to ascertain the facts, nothing more”, he said and he entered the bathroom and headed to the toilet, naked, to relieve himself.  
“To ascertain or to expel me, doesn’t matter, I’ll be just as anxious”, she said rubbing shampoo in her hair. “You know these people, right? Any advice?”  
“They are all man and rather antiquated”, he said and sighed in relief. Heather saw him pissing in front of her as if it was the most natural thing he could be doing and noticed he wasn’t even aware of what he was doing. She smiled and turned her back to him. He kept talking, “So I’d advise you to speak as little as possible without abnegating yourself from you right of defense”.  
“Oh, how easy”, she mumbled.  
“It’s not that simple to expel a student from Hogwarts. If, and I say if, they really decide to do that, it would still had to be taken to the ministry to be judged as pertinent or not, and honestly, they don’t want to have to return the money you already paid from the remaining months of this term and the entire next term. For them, money comes first, and you’re a paying student”.  
“Right”, she said half-mindedly, her thoughts travelling far. Next time she noticed she was alone in the bathroom and ready to go, but something in her wanted her to stay there, under the hot spray, postponing that dreadful meeting as much as possible.  
“Come on, Heather. You can’t delay it anymore and I want you to eat before you go”, he said aloud from the bedroom.  
Reluctantly, she crossed the door with her towel wrapped around her body, her wet hair dripping on her shoulders, and found him dressed and ready to go, hurrying her to get dressed and accompany him to the Great Hall for breakfast.  
“I’m not sure I can eat anything right now”, she said going to her wardrobe. “There’s a knot in my stomach”, and turning to him, “You go ahead; I promise I’ll eat after the meeting… Whatever the outcome is”.  
He walked towards her and stood very close. He held her shoulders and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. “Heather, if they do to the expelling direction, I will step up. Whatever you say will not stop me from doing this: I won’t let them take you away from me”. He lifted her child lightly and kissed her lips. She felt her eyes falling closed, no words coming to her mind. “I’ll leave you alone now; I know it’s what you want”.  
And when he walked through, to be alone was not what she wanted anymore.  
**********  
Heather was only half listening to Headmistress McGonagall’s reassurances and advice. Her mouth was dry and her nails long gone, and she felt like she was somewhere else, watching from the outside. The Board members were already chatting at a corner of the room, making her, the Headmistress and her Head of House wait. It was more than fifteen minutes later when one of them told everyone to sit down so they could start.  
He started by summarizing what had happened involving Heather Sarah Sebastian and why they were there, as if Heather didn’t already know. She twisted her fingers together, sitting in front of their semi-circle.  
“Miss Sebastian”, a woman said when that statement was finally over. “Did you, or did you not, have part in the illicit activities that took place on the event in Cockatoo Lane?”  
“I did not”, she answered nervously, but her voice was steady  
“As we all already know”, Minerva said from her left side. “The Aurors had it sorted out last night, even before Miss Sebastian returned to the Castle”.  
“Yes, we have the Aurors’ report, but there are some things we must hear from Miss Sebastian herself, if you don’t mind, Minerva”, the same woman said. “First of all, Miss Sebastian, why were you in that place?”  
“I was working, that’s all”  
“You are a Hogwarts student, Miss Sebastian. Pray tell us why you were working! No student in this institution have a job”.  
“I’m sorry, Mr. Rasmussen, but other students have their school paid by their parents as well as every other expenses, such as school books and every small thing like quills and parchment. I do not have that; my parents are not paying for my school: I am. So even if my two years here are fully paid, I still need to afford myself, and that is why I have to work. That’s all I was doing”.  
“I apologize, Miss Sebastian”, another woman started. “But I find it had to see your activities from last night as work. It was a party”, she said with a sneer, “and you were singing. How it that for and honest and acceptable job?”  
“It is an honest job”, Heather said firmly, but still being polite. “I go there, do what is expected of me, and get paid for that, like any other job, not harming anyone, and not even myself. So yes, it is an honest job. Apparently it’s not acceptable for you, but honest either way”, she took a breath and moved on. “It was by singing to people that I afforded myself for six years and was able to save money to pay for Hogwarts. I worked hard, sometimes at three places in one day, and I still had spare time to be a waitress, bartender, a baby-sitter, dog-walker, and everything else that came on my way. I never did anything wrong, I was never involved with anything illicit, with any kind of drug, so yes, I am an honest person and singing is an honest job”. She breathed in again, irritated with the knot she felt on her throat and with her tear stinging eyes. “What happened yesterday was a onetime thing. There were people committing a crime there, selling drugs, and unfortunately, I was in the same place, but it has already been proved by the Aurors that I was not involved. I was not involved”, she repeated. “I know what it all makes me look like, but I also know I did nothing wrong”.  
The woman looked at Heather in silence for a moment and nobody else spoke. She then looked at the headmistress. “Minerva, would you please report to us Miss Sebastian activities as a Hogwarts student?”  
“I have nothing but good things to say about Miss Sebastian. She is talking as many classes and a student can take and getting great results at each one of them. It has been just a few weeks since start of term, but she had proved to be a dedicated student who is taking every subject very seriously. Her working outside the castle on the weekends had not interfered in her school life”.  
“And as you all know”, Filius started as Minerva finished. “With the approval of the board, we have allowed Miss Sebastian to try and take her NEWTs this year, still her sixth, with the condition that she had a minimum score in every subject. Miss Sebastian has taken this seriously, and I can tell as her teacher and Head of House that it is very likely that she will be allowed to take the test”.  
The board seemed to like what they heard, but Heather still endured many questions. They wanted to understand the reason why she had to be the one who afforded herself, and she had to tell in a few words that she had broken up with the Sebastians at age 16. Some did not like that story al all, but most of them thought impressive that, even alone since such an early age, she was able to be there now.  
Then, they asked for privacy to deliberate about her future. They left to a corner table and cast a charm so Heather, Minerva and Filius would not hear them.  
The twenty minutes they took to return felt like an entire day for Heather.  
“We have deliberated, voted and decided. Miss Sebastian will be allowed to remain as a student, seeing that she didn’t, in fact, engage in any illegal activities”, the same woman started and Heather felt the smile spreading on her face on its own account. “There are, however, some caveats”, she looked pointedly at Heather, whose smile fade. “You authorization to keep jobs outside of the Castle, on weekends or any other day of the week, is hereby repealed. You will not be authorized to leave the Castle’s ground at any given time as you previously were, such rides now being restrained to Hogsmeade visits with the other students”.  
“Furthermore”, a man continued, as if they had rehearsed the speech. “Your stay in the institution is now under probation. Should you now reach a minimum of “E”s in every course you are currently in, you will not be allowed to sit your NEWTs and, therefore, to complete your studies. Should such situation arrive, the school will return the amount you paid for the next term, and your studies here will be discontinued”.  
“Do you have any questions, Miss Sebastian?”  
Heather was quiet for a moment and blinked to reorganize her thoughts. “No. It’s all very clear. If I don’t have a minimum of “E”s in every single course, I’m out”.  
“In short, yes”, the woman answered simply.  
After that, Heather lost track of what happened. They shook her hand, bit goodbye and were accompanied by Minerva and Filius out of the room. She also left and found herself alone on the corridor, stunned.  
How was she supposed to live and afford her things without working? She had never know how it was not to work to buy her own stuff, but if this new experience was what it took to be allowed to finish her studies, so be it. The grades she was now obligated to have we high, the second highest, and it was simply vital that she excelled in every single course.  
It was a lot, it was scary… Moreover, it was wonderful. I was not expelled! She finally smiled and willed her legs to move. She ran down the moving stairs to the third floor and entered her bedroom like a thunder, relief washing over her. I just need to study my ass off.  
That means no more weekends out, n more singing, no more bars, drinking, and having fun. So be it. I will have all the time to do it after I graduate. A simple thing made her happier than any other fact in this situation: her parents had not been able to banish her from Hogwarts, and if she knew them, they had tried.  
“Take that, mum and dad!”  
********  
He heard from a ghost that the board meeting was over and that the Headmistress was at the doors with them right now. True to that, he saw Minerva and the group of elders on the Entrance Hall; Heather was not with them. Curiosity getting the best of him, he strode quickly without being noticed, and went upstairs.  
There was a bottle of scotch whiskey on the coffee table and she was drinking for a glass with ice, sitting on the couch. He saw her drink deeply from it and close her eyes, her head falling back.  
“Oh, don’t tell me they did it”, he said and she opened her eyes, looking at him standing in front of her. “Did they? Those presumptuous old naggers sent you out?”  
He felt like bursting even more insults, but the soft smile that was now spreading over Heather’s lips stopped him. She rested her class on the table and got up, stepping close to him and standing toe to toe.  
“They didn’t”, she said and smiled more. “I’m staying”.  
“They didn’t?”  
“No!”  
“Then why are you drinking like that?”, he asked, irritated  
“Because!”, she smiled but was also a little irritated by his tone. “I am celebrating! And as I am forbidden to leave the castle, my celebration has to be here. Besides, I will not be able to come close to a bottle of alcohol again for a long time; I might as well drink now”.  
“And why is that?”  
She breathed out and drank again. “There are a few conditions to my staying in Hogwarts”.  
Severus sat by her side and reached for the glass in her hand. “What are they?”, and he drank.  
“I can’t work anymore”, she said, heartfelt. “No more singing for me. I don’t even want to imagine how am I supposed to survive with no money at all, but it’s ok. All I want to worry about now is about studying, because if I don’t get E’s in every course, I will not be allowed to take my NEWTs and therefore, I’ll be out”.  
“They’ll expel you if you don’t take your NEWTs?”  
“Yep”, she said and took the empty glass back and leaned over to refill it. “Will you help me with Potions? I don’t really trust Professor Slughorn”.  
“Of course”, he answered without thinking. “Are you aware of how hard you must study from now on? E’s in every course is not something commonly seen”.  
“I know, and I can’t get out of my mind that they decided it on purpose, because deep inside they actually want to expel me”, she drank. “But I’ll show them. If I don’t get E’s, I’ll get O’s”.  
“Good”, he said, seriously.  
“What is it?”  
He didn’t want to tell her he felt ridiculous for having felt so scared when he saw her drinking; how he felt angry at the thought Heather could have been expelled and that she would not be around anymore. For a moment, he thought he would again be deprived of the mere chance of something good happening for him.   
And that made him angry.  
“Severus?”, she asked, frowning. “I thought you’d be happy for me”.  
“I am”, he said, turning to face her. “I am glad you’re staying, but I worry. I haven’t seen you studying too hard since term started; do you think you’re prepared for this?”  
“You haven’t seen me studying too hard?”, she repeated, incredulously. “I don’t remember you being with me twenty-four-hours a day. I do study, and now I will double my efforts. You don’t have to worry, this is my problem and I will deal with it”.  
She moved to get up from the couch, but Severus held her hand and pulled her back. “That’s not what I meant. I do worry about it, but I also believe you more than capable. I will help you with Potions and Defense. In fact, I’m…”, he paused and took her hand, looking down. “I am very relieved. I didn’t want you to leave”.  
“Really?”  
“Well, what did you expect me to do?”, Severus said lightly. “Can you see me dancing around the room because you’re staying?”  
Heather laughed. “You don’t have to do that!”  
“I wouldn’t if I had to”.


	12. Halloween Bliss

Madam Pince couldn’t give the students another five minutes as they were asking for the fourth time. She shooshed them away, taking back the books that belonged to the library. They left with full backpacks and books in their arms.  
“I can’t believe it’s almost after curfew”, Davon said when the old librarian banged the door behind them. “I swear I’ve never done that before”.  
“All right, you haven’t been out of the dorm after curfew. Ever?”, Heather smiled at him, disbelieving  
“Well… Al right, but not studying!”  
“I see”, she said and started walking. “Me neither. But then again, I haven’t been in school for six years. But when I was fifteen I did have some adventures in Salem”.  
“I love adventures!”, Davon said excitedly  
“I’m not telling!”, Heather laughed, and turned the subject immediately. “All I worry now is about my grades. There’s too much on the table”.  
“I know, dearest. You have been burying your nose on books for weeks now. I would say you need to relax and take your mind off them for a while, but I don’t think you’ll listen to me”.  
“As much as I care for you, love, I wouldn’t. I don’t think I need it, I am fine and reaping the rewards of studying so much, you see how I’m doing in classes. Besides, I agree more with some other man in my life when he insisted that I should wake up even earlier in the morning to study before classes start”.  
“Oh, come on!”, Davon said. “Did he really say that?”;  
“Yes, and as for next week, that’s what I’ll do. Not because he told me to, but because I agree”.  
“Honey, resting is also important! Your brain is not going to work properly if you don’t sleep enough”.  
“I do sleep enough. All my life I’ve been working in two of three jobs and getting little sleep, I’m used t it. And this is too important; I’ll sleep when I graduate”.  
“Ok, fine about sleeping. But what about other things?”  
“What other things?”  
“You know…”  
“I’ll have plenty of time for other things as well in the future”.  
“How are things with…? Him?”  
“Fine”.  
Davon reached for Heather’s hand and stopped her. They had reached the third floor now, to where Davon was accompanying Heather to her rooms.  
“Fine?”  
“Yes, fine. Just… Fine”.  
“Come on, Heat. You’re not giving him the proper attention, are you?”  
“When you say the proper attention, you mean I’m not putting out?”, Heather asked laughing  
“We can use your words”.  
“Well…”, she crossed her arms leaning against the wall. “Not as much as before, no. But we didn’t break it altogether. He’s helping me a lot, we just don’t have the time… And I don’t really have the energy to… You know”.  
“And still, you want to wake up even earlier in the morning”, Davon shook his head slowly.  
“I don’t get it, honey”.  
“There’s nothing to understand, really. We’re not in a relationship…”, Heather looked down. “We never talked about it, so I have other priorities. And well, as he was the one to advise me to do that, he might not be that interested in having time with me”.  
“Do you think that’s what it is?”  
“Maybe. He helps me studying in his best professor mode. Scowling and all”.  
“Maybe he thinks you’re the one who’s not interested”.  
“I don’t know… I don’t really want to think about it. I have other—“  
“—Other things to worry about, I know”, Davon finished it. “Anyway, dear, I think you might be completely wrong, but what do I know? You need to rest”, she leaned in and kissed her forehead. “And don’t you dare opening another book tonight!”  
***************  
“Miss Sebastian, please see me after class”, professor Flitwick said as he walked through her. Heather nodded as her colleagues got up to leave.  
“Wanted to see me, professor?”, she asked approaching his desk.  
“Write for me on the board the arithmancy formula of the Protego charm”.  
Heather was taken aback for just a moment by his request, and then walked to the board and thought for a few seconds before moving her wand towards it, making a series of symbols and numbers appear on the dark green surface.  
“What would you change if you wanted the charm to work just to protect from one specific spell?”, the small professor asked even before she finished it  
Without speaking, she kept thinking and writing at the same time. The second part was trickier and she had to erase and do it again twice, but had it finished less than five minutes later. The professor stood by her side checking her answer.  
“Good. Twenty points to Ravenclaw. Septima will be glad as well”, he said calmly and Heather breathed out when he turned and walked to his desk again  
“Thank you, professor!”, Heather hurried to her desk to pick up her school bag before running out of the class. If she wanted to have a quick bite before going to the library to make her potions assignment before the first class of the afternoon, she would have to run. That was usually how she had been doing things those days: running, her heavy bag full of books dancing around her as she hurried between classes. Thus much of running and little time to eat was making her lose weight and feel the lack of sleep, but she didn’t care. It seems every professor was engaged to her cause, giving her extra activities and always dedicating extra time after the classes every time she needed to ask something and clarify doubts on their subjects.  
Severus was by far the most demanding one. If someone ever suspected any kind of personal relationship between them – which nobody did – their student-professor dynamic would end any suspicion. He questioned and tested her in class; other students were very glad with it, thinking he was only fussy with her, because it meant he would ask less questions to the other students. After class, if Heather still had any doubt of if she felt she needed to practice something specific one more time, she would stay behind, ask, and do everything she needed. Severus answered, explained, demanded and tested her, and then she would run out of the class to her next appointment.  
Their personal relationship had been hidden under Heather’s books.  
************  
October was quickly running towards the end and Heather felt the pressure grow every day and, with it, the need to do something to relax and distract her mind, even if for just a while. She craved for going out, drinking, smoking, having a night of crazy sex, before returning to her routine and her books. She was forbidden, though, and that just made her want it even more. Drinking and smoking was out of question as she couldn’t leave the castle – and her hidden bottle of scotch was dry – and as Severus didn’t seem to be very interested in being with her outside the classroom, Heather had no hope to have the sext part as well.  
Every teenager in Hogwarts was excited and worried about just one thing now: the Halloween ball. Even her female colleagues in Ravenclaw, who were always very much similar to her, worrying more about studying than with boys, were tense with the prospect of going alone or not with the best available boy. Davon didn’t talk much about it, and his girlfriends understood how hard it should be for him that there was a ball where boys were supposed to go with girls. Heather had already told them that she would just attend to dinner and then take her leave to study as she did every day before going to bed. They insisted, but knowing that she would have to go alone, with a teenager boy, or with her professor were not very good perspectives.  
Heather helped Sandra and Emily to get ready, beautiful dresses and makeup, when she did not worry about it, going down to the Great Hall with her school robes on top of a simple knitted black dress and her usual heels. The hall was decorated in orange and black, pumpkins and real bats flying around the ceiling, and the most enormous, great smelling amount of food Heather had ever seen in her life. She ate with her friends, but felt very much like an outsider. Looking around, she could see how younger the other students looked compared to her. She was older as much more mature than any of them and, looking at the high table where the professors were dinning, she felt like she belonged much more with them than with her colleagues. It felt weird, seeing how much older than her they all were. Not unexpectedly, Heather didn’t include Professor Snape on it. She looked at him now, not really hopping to see him looking at her the way he was. She felt her stomach go cold – she hadn’t seen that look on him in a long time now.  
Davon kicked her shin under the table and she cursed aloud. “What?!”  
“Get a grip, woman”, he whispered, smiling. “I know you miss him, but you’re in the hall. To help you distract, listen to me: I have a surprise for you, for after the dinner”.  
“Honey, I told you I’m leaving after dinner. Can’t you surprise me now?”  
“No. No way, no discussion. After the dinner. Stay for just a while, I promisse you you’ll like it!”  
“Damnit Davon, this is unfair. I don’t want to stay here… I feel so… Misplaced”.  
“Well, if you want to see my surprise, then you stay. Or you’ll just hear about it tomorrow, after everybody else”.  
Heather looked at him for a moment in silent, narrowing her eyes. “Fuck you, Davon”.  
He laughed out loud. “Ok!”, he said and she laughed with him. “Eat!”, he said suddenly. “You’re getting too thin; I know you’re not eating well”.  
“Fine, mom!”  
They talked through dinner, but Heather couldn’t stop looking at the High Table every minute. Almost every time she caught Severus watching her and, at every look, his intensity was more palpable. Heather felt her heart clench a little under his stare, noticing now she was missing him much more than she thought. After dinner, the Hall was rearranged with a big empty space in the middle, musical instruments where the High Table has been, and smaller tables all around the space. Students moved around to find their dates; Emily and Sandra disappeared to the other side of the hall and Heather withdrew to a wall, following Davon with her eyes – also looking for Severus, who had disappeared in the crowd.  
Davon had a huge smile while he crossed the hall. Almost in the middle, very much in evidence, he stopped when Alex – the guy Heather had seen him talk to in Slug Club – reached him. They smiled brightly at each other and Alex extended him his hand. Davon took it and came up on his toes, as Alex was taller than he was – and kissed him in the lips.  
The hall stopped to stare, but the boys didn’t seem to notice. Looking happy and confident, they held hands and walked away. Heather couldn’t contain her smile. She saw the astonishment of everybody else, including the staff, and thought how brave those two guys were. They were facing whatever they had to be together, even knowing each other for such a short time. Fear, newness and prejudices didn’t stand on their way. Still smiling, she looked around and finally found Severus.  
He was walking slowly among the already partying students, hands clenched behind his back. While she watched, he walked a little longer, not seeing her, gravely observing his surroundings. Heather saw him stop by a table and smell the drinks to check if somebody had slipped some alcohol, but he left the table finding nothing. Heather thought about all the excuses she had been using not to be with him those days – lack of time, worries, studies, homework – and how her friend, a teenager boy, was now facing so much more to be with the person he loved. She shook herself not to think about this word, but when trying to believe her own reasons, she couldn’t anymore. She missed Severus, having him and a supportive professor was just not enough. She felt too much more for him, even if she refused to give this feeling a name.  
Severus stopped close to a corner and looked directly to her. Her hands got cold and her heart raced. Hands still back, Severus raised her chin and fixed his eyes on hers for a long moment. Those eyes devouring her across a room full of people took her back to the first time she saw him at Burn, when she couldn’t take her eyes off of him and took him upstairs after exchanging just a few words. She saw him look down eyes still on her face for a moment, and then looking down at her body; her robes were open and her dress under it was showing. Her mouth went dry; she knew that look. When his eyes met hers again, she smiled; a small, crooked smile, raised one eyebrow, and started to walk away, in the opposite direction, towards the doors. She held his look as long as she could before turning and leaving the Great Hall.  
It was deafening silent out of the hall, the sound of Heather’s heels echoing loudly on the walls. She went upstairs walking quickly and slowed down on the first floor, training her ears to listen to any sound. It was all silent, though, and she kept moving. On the second floor, there was movement behind her and the child on her spine told her who it was. Looking around, she found a door to a small closet, big enough, though, and entered it, leaving the door slightly open.  
It was dark inside but Heather had no time to think of taking her wand out to light it up. A dark figure entered the space and shut de door, his wand crossing the air to lock it, and then Heather was pressed against the wall, his mouth on hers, this tongue hungrily invading her and demanding her response. She opened up for him, allowing him inside and feasted on him, his taste and his smell that she missed so much. She moaned and they breathed each other hard, bodies pressed against each other. Never stopping kissing her, Severus parted her school robes and held her to him, hands grasping hard her buttocks. She arched into him, feeling the bulk in his trousers, making his leave her mouth just enough to hiss at the feeling. She moved against him again and he dropped his kisses to her neck. Hungry, he raised her dress up and felt her skin, her legs, and found her knickers.   
She whimpered when he touched her on top of it and grabbed his hair, holding him to her neck. he rubbed his hand on her, making her moan and round her hips again. Groaning, Severus moved the fabric sideways and felt her hot and wet, and with no delay entered her with two fingers. She moaned aloud and kept moaning and whimpering and rounding her hips and he fingered her hard, his thumb toying with her clit, his teeth sunk on her neck.  
"More...", she whispered among her moans. "I want more, Severus, give me", she cried reaching out for his trousers, fumbling to undo his belt and buttons. He never stopped fingering her and every second it became harder for her to do it. When his pants were open, she had to stop and grab his robes strongly or she'd collapse. His fingereds entered and teased her even harder and he saw the orgasm he knew so well approach.  
"Yes, I know you wanted it", he roared. "Come, witch. Come on my fingers"  
She did. Severus fingered her through her come, his fingers and hands dripping with her juices.   
"Fuck me", she ordered him as soon as she could breathe again. "Fuck me now, Severus"  
Releasing his fingers from her velvety tightness, he forcefully turned her around to face the wall and lowered the front of his trousers along with his underwear, releasing his erection. He was throbbing, he needed her more than anything right now. Holding her school robes and dress, he raised it to reveal her bum and immediately lowered her knickers. They fell to her knees and he held Heather's legs together. She held herself with both hands against the wall and felt him touch her buttocks, hands caressing it, and then the tip of his cock travelling from her arse downwards to her clit. She shivered and hissed in anticipation and he moved up again, slowly and torturing her, to her entrance. He positioned his tip there and held her waist. A second felt like long minute when she felt him there, but paused. She screamed when Severus pushed in and pulled her back to him at the same time, entering her with one long, strong motion. He groaned behind her, holding himself inside her for a moment.  
"Fuckin' delicious", he managed to say before withdrawing and entering her again, not stopping anymore. Starving for Heather, Severus pounded into her, a hand steadying her by the waist, the other one caressing her neck and shoulders. He heard her moan and hiss and whimper, and it fed him, it raised his desire for her, making him fuck her harder, their skins slapping together.  
He was going to come very soon, he knew it as he felt his balls tightening in pleasure. He leaned onto her, his face on her neck, and slid both hands down on her. Heather lost her mind when she felt two hands touch her, pressing and massaging and roaming all over her pussy, his cock still pounding hard. He was saying something now but her mind couldn't focus on it; he had just hit the perfect spot inside her and her body trembled violently and another orgasm took her. She went silent, contorting herself, and fell back on his chest.  
"Yes yes yes!", he said, forcing into her and rubbing his hands even stronger, seeking to release with her. "Fuckin' wanton witch, I'm coming for you".  
His hands were soaked and he still held her there, feeling her throb under his touch. With a final strong pound, he came inside her, filling her with his cum and still pounding through it. He moaned aloud and hissed and hummed, and was only able to have coherent thoughts when Heather moaned aloud again, regaining her breath, and still rounder her hips back on him, milking the last of his cum. Moments later they stopped moving and remained connected, Severus holding her tightly, her hands on the wall.  
"Are you working?" were her first words, her voice hoarse and trembling.  
"Yes", he managed to say in a whisper. "I'm chaperoning".  
"Oh, no...", Heather said bringing a hand back to his head. "Don't go".  
"I don't want to..."  
She turned around and his cock slid out of her, their mingled juices dripping from her. She hugged him tight and buried her face to his chest. "I thought-", she started and made herself stop.  
"What?"  
"Nevermind".  
"Heather", Severus said touching her chin and making her look at him. "What?"  
"I thought we were over".  
He stared at her eyes for a moment, confused and amazed. How could she have thought that? How could he not want her?  
"Don't be silly", was all he could say and she smiled up at him.  
They kissed now, the urgency gone for the moment, slowly and tender, for a long moment. When Heather moved away from him, she breathed in hard. "You have to go. They'll notice you're not there".  
"Are you not going?"  
"No, I don't really want to. I'll go to my room and read a text I'll be needing for... Well, it doesn't matter".  
In silence, they fixed their clothing and cleaned up, and they stood looking at each other for another long moment. Neither of them wanted to leave, Severus dreaded the idea of going back to a party full or hormonal teenagers instead of going to Heather's room and spending the night with her. Against his will, he leaned in and softly kissed her forehead, before resolutely turning around and leaving.  
******  
The Theory of Advanced Transformations – Large Objects and Buildings text was slowly fading in front of her eyes. The silence of her room, the fire creaking on the hearth and the slight soreness between her legs were forbidding her to concentrate.  
She wanted more. Their quick encounter hadn’t been enough, she just needed more of him, of his body, and having tasted a little bit of it only made Heather crave even more for him. He hadn’t given up on her, he still desired her, just like she did to him. She smiled at her text and immediately shook herself. “Focus, Heather Sarah!”, she said aloud and tried, she really did, but was unsuccessful.  
When the Halloween ball was over and the castle checked for students out of bed, Severus lost the battle against the will to be again with her and didn’t think twice before heading to her room instead of his, always checking for curious eyes and ghosts. He knew the password and entered silently. The room was dim; the fire on the hearth almost gone now, and Heather sleeping form was sitting by her desk, face hidden on her arms above her transfigurations text.  
By the door, Severus took off his shoes to be even more silent and approached her. Slowly, he walked towards her and stood by her side, looking down at the bit of her face he could see; white skin, nose slightly pointed and golden, long eyelashes resting against her skin. A smile make its way to his lips without his permission. Heather looked so young in her sleep it didn’t show how brave, strong and courageous she was. She had been trying so hard these last few weeks, fighting for what she wanted and deserved, and Severus didn’t want to, but he had to admit how incredibly proud he was of her. Being apart from her for long days straight was a fair price to pay for seeing her stand for her dreams and maybe… Just maybe…  
Severus felt his heart tighten when he thought about what would come after all of that was over, after Heather took the tests, scored perfectly as he knew she would, and then the NEWTS would come and she would graduate and, just like that, Heather would be gone.  
But maybe… Just maybe, his own future was not in the castle anymore.  
Silently, Severus leaned in to take Heather, careful not to wake her up. She stirred a little in his arms, but as he settled her to bed, she was asleep again. He transfigured her dress – the same black one – into a soft nightgown. Taking off his clothes, he climbed the bed by her side and pulled her slumbered form to his chest. She fitted there perfectly and Severus let himself relax, her warmth soothing him. It was not just having sex with her he had missed. It was simply being with her. It was she.


	13. That Sounds Ridiculous

November 21st

“Severus?”, she whispered close to his ear. “Are you awake?”  
He stiffened for a moment and relaxed again in a second. Heather woke him up too early for his liking, but she sounded calm and the bed was warm and comfortable, so nothing to worry about.  
“I am now…”, he mumbled  
“Sorry to wake you… I need to ask you something”.  
He groaned. Again. She had been waking him up at night with doubts about potions or Defense for a few days already. They had been sleeping together almost every night, the solution they found for Heather’s tight schedule during the day. Many of those nights, though, that was all they did: sleep. She had been tired almost all the time, her mind full of thoughts, but just sleeping together, holding each other, had been soothing and renewing.  
“You should be asleep, Heather…”  
“No, I’m fine, I’m getting up now”.  
“What? What time is it?”  
“Almost five thirty. Just answer me that and go back to sleep”.  
“Five in the morning? Heather, you’ve lost your mind. You need to sleep!”  
“No. I need to study”, she said and let go of him. He felt cold in his chest where she had been lying. “Don’t worry, I’ll check my books and find an answer. Go back to sleep”.  
“Well, now I’m awake anyway”, Severus said throwing the blankets to the side and sitting up.  
“Are you mad at me?”, Heather testily asked putting on her robes over her naked body.  
“Kind of, yes!”, Severus got up “You forget that sleeping and eating properly is just as important as studying as hard as you are. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You must have lost at least 10 pounds in the last few weeks”.  
“I don’t care about how much I weight! I care about getting the grades I have to so I’ll have a future! I think it’s worth it”.  
“It’s not about how much you weight, it’s about health. You are not healthy and you know it. I just can’t see it and say nothing”.  
“Well, maybe you should. You know how much is on the table here, at least you should know how much this means to me. If you can’t understand that – “  
“Understanding doesn’t mean agreeing. I do understand it, Heather, but you’re not seeing clearly what are the other things that’d make your studies fruitful, and that is being in good health as well”.  
“Severus, I just… I don’t understand; you’re the one who suggested I’d wake up earlier to study before classes!”  
“And I couldn’t regret it more”, he said firmly. “I didn’t know you would do it every day and that early. Moreover, you are neglecting your meals; you study in the morning though breakfast and go right away to class. You need to take care of yourself, Heather! I don’t want to see you sick and lose you for a breakdown, or for anything!”  
Heather closed her mouth shut, staring at him. He doesn’t want to lose me. She breathed in, absorbing those words. Scared.  
“I do take care of myself”, she finally said after an uncomfortable silence. “I’ve been doing it my whole life, don’t worry”.  
She turned around and walked angrily to the bathroom. As she entered, she heard Severus ask, “What was your question anyway?”  
“I don’t remember!”,, she shouted before banging the door.  
*************  
When she came out, he wasn’t there anymore. Heather closed her eyes and took a hard breath, trying to ignore the pang loss she felt in her heart. She couldn’t have expected him to be waiting there for her after her outburst. But I’m right!, she though, now angry for feeling sad with it. She had thought before that Severus would support her no matter what on that matter, being a professor, a master in his area, a studious; he obviously should be more understanding. In a mix of sadness, tiredness, anger and guilt, Heather moved on with her day. She opened her book and soon she was deep into the subject. True to Severus’ concerns, she was late for breakfast already, not noticing the hours go by. She put on her uniform quickly and ran out of the room to the corridors, rushing to eat something before Ancient Runes class.  
She turned a corridor and walked half of it before seeing a girl turn a corner, alone.  
“Abby?”  
The girl looked up and smiled at her, a little, shy smile. “Hi… Heather”  
“How good to see you! How are you, Darling?”  
“I’m fine... Ok, I guess”.  
“Are you really?” she asked and Abby looked down, sadly. “Abby, is something wrong?”  
“No, not really. I’m fine, after, you know, what happened, some people in Hufflepuff got curious about me and after that I made some friends... It’s ok”.  
“That’s great. Then why are you not looking at me?”  
“You-“, she started and paused before looking up at Heather again. “You never talked to me again… I thought you were my friend”.  
Heather felt her heart and stomach go cold. How could she have done that? When she helped Abby, months before, she had promised the girl they would be friends and talk anytime Abby wanted or needed her. Then there was her studied, her grades, and Abby had been forgotten… Just like Severus was forgotten many times.  
He doesn’t want to lose me.  
“Abby…”, Heather said and sat on a corridor bench. “I’m – I don’t know what to say”.  
Abby shrugged, “It’s ok. You don’t have to be my friend, or anyone’s, if you don’t want to”.  
“No, honey, it’s not that. Here, sit with me”, Heather said reaching out for her and pulling Abby by the hand to sit by her side. “It’s not that at all. You probably don’t know, but I’ve been studying lots more than any other student in his school”.  
“Why?”  
“Because...”, she thought of how to explain it. “As I am older than everybody else, they said if I don’t get perfect graded I won’t be allowed to stay here after Christmas break”.  
“What?”, Abby asked, astonished  
“Yes, that’s it. That’s why I’ve been studying, and talking to the professors, and doing homework and spending a long time in the library… I’m not even eating properly”, she said, remembering Severus’ words. “I think I’ve lost ten pounds in the last few weeks”, she said and petted the girl’s hair. “I swear, honey, I do want to be your friend. And I’m sorry, I’m really sorry for not being there… Will you forgive me?”  
Abby smiled sadly at her. “Sure… I’m sorry, I don’t want you to go away. I understand”.  
“I’m happy to hear it”, Heather smiled. “And I promise I’ll change that. How about going to my room and having tea with me today? I don’t have any classes after four”.  
************  
Abby arrived a few minutes after the time they had set, and Heather thought she had done it on purpose, trying not to look to eager. Heather had prepared the living room to receive her visitor, asked a house elf to help her set a great afternoon tea with scones, a pie, a bowl of fruit, orange juice and, of course, tea. She showed Abby her room and the girl was amazed, saying if she had a room like that all for herself she would never leave it. They sat to eat and talked for hours, Heather finally forgetting about the books, and heard all about Abby, her family, her friends, her house, how she was doing in school. Heather absolutely adored it, although it was hard not to think about her brother, Jonathan, when they talked. He had been about Abby’s age the last time she had seen him. She told Abby about Jonathan but didn’t tell why she didn’t have any contact with him, and their conversation wondered about a lot of things, until all the tea and food was gone and it was already time to do downstairs for dinner. Heather walked down with Abby, amazed with how complete and light she felt now.  
“Abby, I have to thank you. It was very good to me to relax and just talk and eat for hours”.  
“Anytime. I liked it very much too. I’ll see you!”, Abby said and left her, happily skipping into the Great Hall.  
Smiling, Heather looked for her colleagues and sat with them. Even having eaten well only hours before, she felt hungry, as if just now her stomach remembered how it felt to have a proper meal. She looked up at the High Table intending to show Severus she was eating, but he wasn’t there, and wouldn’t be for the entire dinner time. She decided not to study that night and see how it felt. If she felt like information was escaping her brain because of a night away from the books, she would hit them even harder the next day.  
In the next morning, Severus was surprised by seeing Heather enter the Great hall with her Ravenclaw colleagues, talking and smiling with them, way earlier then she used to show up, when she did. She joined her house table and started to fill her plate with food. When it was full, she looked up at, smiled discreetly and looked back at her plate before returning her eyes to him, her gesture showing him she wanted him to notice she was eating. He raised an eyebrow, trying to understand why it was important to her. He understood a moment later when, after looking around to make sure nobody was watching her, she mouthed, “I’m sorry” to him. He nodded shortly and got back to his own food.  
Severus fought a smile that forced its way to his lips.

November 24th

“Wait for me at 7. We are going out”.  
The note was short and not signed, but Heather knew who had written it. She had been studying in her desk that Saturday, having done nothing else all day besides of eating on the right times and Severus kept insisting her to do. The owl delivered her his note and she felt a confusion of excitement and annoyance feelings. Going out was one of the things she wanted the most those days, feeling she was starting to go out of her mind; but she knew that Severus knew she was not allowed to leave the castle. She had a hard time concentrating on her homework after that, and didn’t go down for dinner knowing Severus would show up.  
“Why are you not ready?”, was his words when he came to her door  
“Because we’re not going out. I’m forbidden to leave the castle, remember?”, Heather said turning back to her desk  
“You forget who you are talking to”, he said, crossing his arms. Heather looked at him and took in his image. He was in his usual black trousers and shoes, but his buttoned-up shirt was white, covered by a long black frock cloak; his hair was wet and combed back. Her mouth went dry. He had prepared himself to taking her out, and he looked so handsome, she almost jumped up and ran to get ready.  
“You’re saying you can take me out of the school and I won’t have problems with it?”  
“Yes, I am saying that. Now go get ready”.  
She couldn’t help but smiling and she got up and ran to the bathroom. She trusted him immediately; she just knew there wouldn’t be any problem and they would have fun outside. Together.  
Severus was sitting in her bed, his back to the headboard, when she got out, only five minutes later, showered and still a little wet, wrapped in a white towel. She smiled at him, happy, and opened her wardrobe and a drawer inside. Dropping the towel to the floor, she bent over to put on her underwear.  
“Oh, don’t do that”, she heard Severus say from the bed. “With that view, I can’t guarantee we’ll make it outside”.  
Heather turned to look at him and saw he was getting up from the bed. She quickly turned to grab a dress from a hanger and covered herself with it before Severus reached her. “Back off, professor”, she smiled. “You are definitely taking me out now, you can’t take that back”.  
“I can’t take that back but I can take you”, she roared and grabbed her waist, pulling her to his chest. Heather let out a cry and his mouth covered hers, his hands on her waist and bare back. Heather didn’t resist his slow yet firm kiss, and when the dress in her hands started to slowly slip to the ground, they finished it, but Severus still held her, now deeply breathing in her neck. He moaned lowly. “You smell so good…”  
“Yeah? I did it on purpose”, she said while pushing him away from her.  
He growled “Wicked minx”, before letting her go and returning to bed.  
Heather dressed up and got ready in just a few minutes. Severus recognized the dress she was wearing from the first time they met at Burn. Heather smiled knowing he had remembered and they stood at her door, ready to go. Severus pointed his want to the top of her head and whispered an incantation that made her feel like cold water was slowly dripping down her body. In seconds, she was disillusioned, and Severus walked down the stairs and through corridors until he reached outdoors, and then crossed the grounds heading to the gates, always looking like he was alone.  
“Hold on to me”, he said to the empty space buy his side and instantly felts Heather hugging him. He closed his eyes to the feeling, even with the weirdness of not seeing who was holding him, and disapparated.  
*****************  
She was already visible again when they left the deserted alley and found a crowded street in London. Severus instinctively held her hand as they walked and Heather excitedly told him she had never been to London and how happy she was to be out of the castle, not that she didn’t love it, but she had always been free and a nocturnal person, used to be out and seeing people every night. She knew she was babbling and felt somewhat like an idiot, or a child for the first time in an amusement park, but one look at Severus made her smile shyly and go on with her babbling. He had a smile on his face, small but light and present. As she noticed it, she looked down at their entwined hands and felt something go cold in her stomach.  
She had never, ever, walked hand in hand with anyone in her life.  
“Heather? What is it?”, Severus asked her noticing her sudden silence  
“Oh, nothing, just…”, she said and looked up at him. “We’re holding hands”, she stated.  
Severus raised his eyebrows and pondered it for a second. “Indeed we are”, he said. “Ladies fist”.  
She looked around to understand what he was saying and noticed they had stopped in front of a small restaurant. He pushed the door and held it for her. Inside, the Italian place was warm and cozy, and Heather noticed a few tables occupied by couples. Severus stood behind her and took her coat, which he gave to the host along with his own, and then they were guided to a table by the corner. For two hours, they sat together, ate delicious pasta and drank a perfectly chosen bottle of wine. They both started feeling a little tipsy after a while and Severus ordered a second one.  
“Oh God, this is going to end up as a very expensive dinner”, Heather said when the waiter moved away from their table  
“Don’t worry”, Severus said. “I’m the one who asked you out”.  
“On a date”, Heather said and then laughed. “Oh my God, are we on a date?”  
Severus smiled. “I guess we are”.  
“Interesting how you and I had never been really on a date before. Burn doesn’t really count, I was working”.  
“It’s exactly what I intended to correct. And you, Miss Sebastian, needed a break”.  
“I know…”, she said and pushed her empty plate away before sipping the last of her wine. “You were right. I’d fail my practical tests if I was weak, and wouldn’t be able to memorize anything new-“  
“You are talking about school”, Severus interrupted her. “Don’t talk about school”.  
She smiled. “Right. You’re right”.  
The new bottle arrived and they drank almost all of it before the restaurant started closing up for the day. Severus paid the bill and they left. Heather held on to him, laughing heartily when she almost tripped, and even Severus had drunk enough to be laughing with her.  
“Ok, now take me to your quarters and shag me silly until next morning”  
Severus laughed and made her stop walking, turning her to him. “You’re right about the shagging part”, he purred and grabbed her nape strongly. Heather felt the chills in her body and closed her eyes a second before he kissed her, his soft lips pressing firmly and urgently against hers. “But you deserve a little more than a dark, cold dungeon”, he said against her lips  
She was still drowning in his kiss and his whisper when he turned around and walked away pulling her by the hand. She walked fast to keep up with him, who resolutely took her to a crowded street. There he slowed down a little but didn’t answer when she asked where he was taking her. Minutes later, they entered an expensive looking hotel, which Heather saw when they got to the room, had spectacular view to the river.  
She was astonished with the view, looking amazed out the window, a large glass from floor to ceiling. She could see her own reflex on it and, behind her, Severus’ form slowly approaching her. Their eyes met in the reflex and he stood behind her for a moment, not touching, just looking. It was enough to take her breath away in anticipation. It lasted a few seconds, long, silent and electric seconds for them to snap out of it. Heather turned around at the same time Severus reached for her waist to turn her, and they grabbed each other with an urgency of a couple of lovers who hadn’t been together for months. Heather hand on his shoulders, kissing his face and his lips with passion, and Severus held her strongly by her waist and nape, lavishing her lips and tongue. Their breaths immediately got labored and hands worked desperately to take the other’s clothes. Severus carried the naked woman to the bed with ease while she still kissed him everywhere her lips could reach. They got onto bed, kneeling in the middle of it, and Severus sat on his heels, lining his face with her chest, kissing and licking this patch, hands firmly grabbing her behind, and led his mouth to her breasts. He drowned on them, feeling Heather’s hands buried in his hair, holding him firmly in place. He heard her moan and bit her nipple lightly, making her hiss and her grip in his hair grow stronger.  
Parting her legs, Heather sat on his thighs, holding his face on her breasts, and felt his erection touch her bare skin. She smiled and rounded her hips on him, making him groan with her nipple inside his mouth. Holding firmly her butt, Severus guided her to move more, feeling her wet on him, hot and already so ready for him. Hissing in pleasure, Heather kissed what she could reach of his face and bit his earlobe.  
“I’m gonna suck you now”, she whispered.  
Not giving him time to do anything else, Heather got up from his thighs and knelt, her head going down on him with urgency. Severus moaned aloud and incoherently when she took him entire into her mouth. He felt his tip connect to her throat and her tongue dance around him before she took him out slowly and did it again. Severus grabbed her hair around his fist and showed her how he wanted it. He guided her faster and deep, and she moaned around his shaft sending vibrations though him. Feasting on him, Heather came on her fours on bed. Her ass up giving him a beautiful view of her curves. He held her hair with one hand and slowly slid the other hand down her back to her ass, and reached down on her. His hand found her folds wet and hot, and her hips danced on his hand, seeking for more contact.  
He moved her head away from him in a very slow motion, to feel her lips tight around him until the last second, and moved away. All he wanted to do was pound into her sweet mouth and fill it with his cum, but no, he wanted to give her everything she deserved. Heather lay down in bed looking up at him, drying her lips with her fingers, her legs opening on their own accord to him. Severus looked up and down at her, barely believing such a gorgeous young woman wanted him so much. He dropped to bed, head behind her legs, and licked her upwards, a slow, flat tongued lick, and heard her scream in delight, her folds contracting against his tongue. He sucked her, every inch of her swollen, hot wet folds, her taste and her smell intoxicating him. Sucking her clit, he entered her with two fingers. Heather went wild, screaming and contorting her walls throbbing around his fingers. He moved harder and tongued her, and then she went silent. Her hips jerked up out of control but he held her on place, fingering her deep. A hot squirt came out of her, wetting his chest and neck.   
“Give me”, he could understand the words among her incoherent moans.   
He slid up her body and entered her in one hard, fast strong movement, and she screamed, her back arching and head thrown back. Her legs wrapped around his waist and they groaned and spoke together as he fucked her, a hand bruisingly grabbing her butt and forcing himself in, her nails digging into the skin of his back. After a while he got to his knees, still deep inside her, and fucked her senseless holding her legs up by her shins.  
“You maniac!”, she roared. “Yes!”  
“You’re driving me crazy, witch”, he said feeling he was again hitting the right spot. “Come for me again... Come. Now”.  
Obeying his order, she did. It was a desperately strong orgasm, her silence deliciously sounding in the hotel room, her entire body vibrating out of control. Severus felt her squirt even strongly on him again.  
“Oh fuck”, he said never stopping pounding. “You like it rough, don’t you?”  
“Yes!”, she screamed, breathing again. “Gimme more”.  
He slid out of her soaked folds and dropped onto bed by her side. Trembling, Heather got up and, instead of riding him as he expected, her head fell down on him again, his length disappearing into her mouth. He moaned aloud, surprised and hornier than ever. Heather devoured him, feeling her own taste. He sounded delighted on his moans and loud groans, like an animal, like a teenager, completely given to that witch and her mouth. Heather kissed her way up to his body and straddled him, and he pulled her down by the hair to kiss him. Hungry mouths tasting the mix of their bodies, Heather sat on him, sliding down slowly but continuously. When he felt he hit her bottom, he held firmly her waits, keeping her still on top of him. They shared a look for a long moment, breaths labored and hearts pounding.  
“You’re gorgeous”, he whispered to her. “Do me, Heather. Do me”.  
She kissed him avidly then and he let go of her wait, allowing her to move. She rounded her hips on him and then moved up and down, a continuous, torturing pace, and Severus felt done. He let her feast on him. She slammed down, her clit hitting his skin everytime she came down. She leaned forward and placed her breasts against his face, and he happily took them, his hands grabbing her butt strongly. One of his hands slid further and the pressed a finger on her ass. She moved faster and he poked into it harder. Heather had her eyes closed, feeling every inch of him inside and his finger complete her pleasure.  
They came at the same time. Frenetically pounding through it, their bodied moving as one, juiced running down their skin, her ass gripping his finger strongly and her delicious loud silence making him deaf. He was stars and heard her scream after coming.  
“Severus... Oh, my, Severus”.  
They felt to be glued together, never desiring to undo it. Severus held her on top of him strongly until their breaths were normal again and his softening cock slid out of her.  
“Rest now, my dear”, he whispered to her, seeing she was nearly drowsing on his chest. “You deserve it”.  
She rested her by his side on bed and reached for his wand, cleaning them and the sheets up. Lying down, he pulled her to his chest and felt her breath deeply.   
“You’re taking care of me…”, Heather whispered to the silence. “Severus… Why are you taking care of me?”  
He was silent for a long moment after her question and she wondered if he had fallen asleep. “Because…”, he finally said slowly, “I care for you”.  
It was Heather’s turn to go silent now. Was he talking about a feeling? She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t need anyone taking care of her, never needed, but he was taking care because he cared.  
“What-what do you mean?”, she finally managed to say.  
“Probably…”, he started slowly and it sounded like he was mocking her, “…the same thing you meant when you said you had feelings for me”, and then he came up on one elbow, looking down at the back of her head. “Or has it changed?”  
She didn’t move or looked at him, but it was a struggle. Heather felt like turning around, hugging him and saying that no, it hadn’t changed, it was only stronger, but she didn’t. Instead, he breathed slowly trying to calm her fast beating, scared heart. That was not what she had planned. There was a reason she had never been in a relationship. She could have been, but had once decided not to and remained firm to her decision. Heather would be single forever, dealing with her own life, independent, not giving destiny a chance to make her hurt anybody else. Ryan returned to her mind and her heart ached. Her decision had been firm and easy for a long time… Why was it hurting her now?  
“It…”, she stammered knowing she had been silent for too long. “It hasn’t”.  
“Heather”, Severus said touching her shoulder and gently making her turn to her back to look at him. “Do you think it’s easy for me to tell you that?”, he asked and she opened her mouth to answer, not really knowing what to say, but he kept talking. “You know how old I am, don’t you? In my entire life, I never told that to anyone. Except for once when I was a teenager with painful, confused feelings for a girl, I had never again cared for anyone”, he said and lay down by her side, looking up at the ceiling now, not at her. She noticed his breath was heavy, difficult words becoming visible to her. “I know you are scared. Even if it doesn’t seem like, I know you. You’re not as hard to read as you think you are”.  
They both went silent, lying side by side, looking up, lost in thought for a long moment.  
“So…”, Heather started again. “You’re scared too?”  
“I wouldn’t say scared. I’ve been through scary things in my life, always bad things. This is supposed to be a good thing, so the scary part is quite different”.  
“Well…”, she paused. “I am. I confess I am, and you know why. There’s so much involving this... The things I told you, how... How I had not planned to get involved… And the present, school, professor and student, studies, tests, God!”, she said, starting to get exasperated. “But then you show up in a bar and changes everything, and complicates everything! You want to know if it has changed? No, is hasn’t. It’s just… Damn stronger. But I try not to think about it, there’s already too much to think about, we can’t… Not now. We can’t”.  
“Heather, calm yourself”, Severus said sitting up and looking down at her. “It’s not like I proposed to you. I don’t wish to regret telling you that, so please restrain from panicking”, he said irritated and Heather said nothing. Seeming to relax at her not responding, he lay down again. “I am as prepared for a relationship as you are. I believe the only difference between what we both feel is that I’m not that afraid, and that I am inclined, given the opportunity, to take the risk. Eventually”.  
They lay in silence again, and Heather was very confused. She knew he was not proposing or anything, and that the very idea could freak her out, so why was she feeling disappointed to hear he was not intending to enter in a relationship with her? She felt suddenly very, very tired of thinking too much about it. Even though she was not ready and felt scared about her feelings, hearing Severus didn’t want to be…  
My what? Boyfriend? That sounds ridiculous.  
Her own mind was playing tricks on her, and she was just exhausted, wishing for once in her life she could have simple feelings, simple thoughts… But there was something simple she could do now, she thought. Turning to her side, she slid an arm over Severus’ stomach and rested her head on his chest. Feeling his arms hold her immediately and a kiss in the top of her head, she breathed slowly and thought that maybe, just maybe, she was the one intentionally complicating things that could be as simple as she desired.


	14. I Do Worry

November 30th

It was unexpected, as it should be, when an owl dropped a letter in front of her during breakfast. It had been very bad news when it happened before, but the name Jonathan Oscar Sebastian written in a clumsy handwriting on the envelope didn’t make it clear if this was good or bad. For Heather, the breakfast table went silent and her mouth dry. She had to read it now. Getting up and almost spilling her coffee, she stumbled out of the table and towards the door. Before leaving, she turned her head to look at the high table. Severus was watching her, his face down but curious eyes. Heather ran, hopping he wouldn’t take too long.  
In her room, she paced, envelope tight in her hands, trying to force herself to open and ready it for once. But what if he wasn’t happy to hear from her? What if he hated her and was telling he would never forgive? What would she do, then? Jonathan was the person she loved the most in her life, and at the same time the one she missed the most. Hoping he would someday forgive her and she would be allowed to talk and hug him once again had always been one of the things that had kept her going, fighting, and if that letter was telling her she’d never have it, what would she do?  
The door was pushed open and Severus entered. He looked around before finding her by the window.  
“What happened?”, he asked walking towards her.  
“It’s from my brother”, she said showing him the envelope. “He answered!”.  
“I imagine this should be a good thing. Why didn’t you open it?”  
“I-I’m-”, she tried to speak and looked down at her hand. “I’m not sure it’s a good thing. Can you read it for me?”  
Severus took a moment to understand what she had said. “You want me to read it for you?”  
“Yes, if you don’t mind”.  
She looked up at him and he saw she was scared. It pained him to see someone as brave as she was with fear in her eyes. She took the last few steps to her and stood close, reaching down for the letter in her hand. He leaned down and kissed her lips softly, and then he took her hand and walked her to the couch, where they sat together.

“Heather,  
Receiving your letter was a huge surprise. I want expecting anything like that… Ever. After you disappeared, for a long time I hopped to hear from you, but with time, I just gave up on believing you would remember me.  
What took you so long, Heather?  
I understand now why you had to go. I couldn’t answer before because I was shocked, yes, very shocked at what you told me mum and dad did. Somehow, though, I don’t doubt you’re telling the truth. I thing I’d have disappeared as well if anything close to that was done to me. I’m sorry for what you’ve been through, and I hope I could have been there for you. But I was just a child then, I don’t think I’d be of much help.  
But again, what took you so long? It’s been six years, you can’t honestly tell me you didn’t have the opportunity to contact me before. A letter was impossible because I lived with them, and after that, you wouldn’t know where to find me, because I came to study in Montana but… Are you a witch or what? Couldn’t you send a Patronus? Couldn’t you send me a message through someone you know from school? Through aunt Millie, who you know to be a nice person who would help us contact? Anything, Heather. You’ve always been a determined person, for what I remember from you, but when it came to contact me, you didn’t put enough dedication on it.  
I know nothing about your life after you left, anyway… maybe you had perfectly explainable reasons for that. I’m just glad you found me and could send me that letter before mum and dad could stop it from reaching me. I hope they haven’t heard about it and found out where you are.  
Hogwarts then, huh? Good to hear it. I never thought you would be one to just drop the studies and wonder around. I’d like to hear more from you life. Mine is great now. I got this apprenticeship in Transfigurations while I still study, and everything is busy, but I’m learning a lot, and I love it. I think I’m really good at it.  
Well, I think that’s it for now. I ask you to please let me have some time to rethink things, and when I fell able to accept the fact that you disappeared and then returned, I’ll write again, and then maybe we can meet. Just give me some time.  
I have missed you all those years.  
Jon”

Jonathan’s words in Severus’ voice sounded strange, but it was the best way she could imagine hearing them. She was frozen for a moment, staring at the man by her side, trying to understand her brother’s words.  
He missed her, but he also regretted her. She would have to wait now, wait even more after waiting for so long to hear from him. She could answer his questions, she could tell him she was never able to produce a Patronus since she lost her baby and left him, but he didn’t want to hear from her now. She would have to wait.  
Severus closed the space between then when she sobbed and started crying, taking her in his arms. There was nothing he could say. All he could do was hold her and let her cry.

December 21st

When the third week of December came upon her, Heather was a nervous wreck. During those five days the students had the final tests of the semester, right before Christmas Break, and when for everyone else the anxiety was about having a break and going home, for Heather it was a matter of life and future. It all depended on those five days and the results of the tests.  
Severus gave her space. He observed from a distance if she was sleeping and eating, but otherwise he left her alone to concentrate and study. He was always here for when she needed help with something in Potions or Defense, but always as a professor. Every other staff member was available for her as well. She would stay until later in every class asking questions and being asked. Professors enjoyed having a student who cared and really, really wanted to learn, and more than one of them told Heather that they didn’t have any student like that at Hogwarts since Hermione Granger.  
When tests started, on Monday, she was stressed and concentrated. Every day she would go to two different tests and use every minute between them to revise for the next one. Time passed slowly and she took all of them, but she felt no relief when each of them was over. It was just replaced for nervousness for the results and how it would affect her entire life.  
On Friday, her first test in the morning was Ancient Runes and, in the afternoon, she’d take the last one, on Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was going to be divided into two parts; a practical test, which would be taken in duals, and then one hour to take a written test. Davon was her partner and they did perfectly, but Heather was so tense it didn’t help. The written text, right after it, took her more than ninety minutes to complete, for she reviewed and rewrote her answers more than once. When she finished, she saw only two other nervous students were in the class, and the professor, now looking straight at her, had been completely silent for all that time.  
Gathering her stuff from the desk, Heather thought if she was really done, but at the same time could not imagine what else to do except for returning it. She got up and walked towards Severus, who just sat there looking at her, and held out the paper. When he tried to take it, Heather nervously withdrew her hand, still holding the paper. The professor looked surprised at her and saw her nervous and uncertain eyes. He lifted an eyebrow in question and Heather swallowed hard, trying again. She let him hold the paper now, but didn’t let go.  
“Miss Sebastian”, he said in a low voice. “I believe you’re done”.  
She still held it, her mind racing trying to figure if she had make any mistakes of left something unanswered. The urge to take it back from the professor’s hands and return to her seat to review it yet again almost won.  
“You are done”, Severus said clearly and it made her let go.  
She was done.  
He nodded placing her test in the pile with the others and motioned her to leave. Heather turns quickly, took her bag from the floor by her desk and left.  
Gossip around the school would tell later how she left the class, closing the door behind her, and closer her eyes, breathing, and then fell to the floor, unconscious, right there. She didn’t remember, though. Next thing she knew was the smell of the ammoniac that Madam Pomfray was making her smell to wake up.  
“There, there, he you go”, the elder woman said. “Are you with me, my dear?”  
“What happened?”, she asked feeling dizzy  
“You passed out, dear, don’t you remember feeling ill? When was the last time you ate anything?”  
“I – I’m not sure”.  
The headmistress entered the Hospital Wing in hurried steps, worry all over her face. She got to Heather’s bed and held her hands, touched her forehead, asking how she was feeling.  
“I feel better now”, Heather said. “I don’t know what happened”.  
“You were on the limit, that’s what happened”, Minerva said, concern giving place to anger on her features. “The board put too much pressure on you. It’s an absurd! I knew it was an absurd from the beginning, and I saw how much effort you put on it. Much more than necessary, I must say. I know how good you’d go on every test if you had studied half of what you did. But they scared you and threatened you! It’s preposterous! Kingsley will hear about this. Are you sure you feel fine, dear?”  
“I do, Headmistress, thank you for your concern. I think I’m just too tired…”  
“I’ll give her Dreamless Sleep, Minerva”, Pomfray said.  
“Good, do it”, she said and looked again at Heather. “They didn’t have to do that to you, Miss Sebastian. But I am sure you did great. You can relax now and sleep, and please sleep as much as you want. When we’re sure you won’t collapse again, you’ll be free to go and rest even more in your rooms”.  
“Ok… I won’t say no to that… I’m really exhausted. Than you, headmistress”.  
“You’re quite welcome, dear”, she said and the matron got to her bedside and handed her a goblet with potion. Heather had time only to rest again on the pillow in a comfortable position before falling in deep slumber.

***

Heather entered her room hours later still feeling a little groggy, but in a somewhat pleasant way. Her mind tried to go back to the tests, but she was relaxed now and fight that was easy. She was on the tub, soaked in hot water and bubbles when she felt something on the basic wards of her room shift. She smiled keeping her eyes closed, and felt when he was in the room and kneeling on the floor, by her side.  
He was suddenly holding her tight, startling her for a moment.  
“Are you ok?”, he whispered close to her ear. “I heard you were in the hospital”.  
“I’m fine”, she answered. “I passed out, but it was just exhaustion”.  
“Just exhaustion?”, he said letting her go and cupping her face to look at her. “You shouldn’t have worked to the point of collapsing in exhaustion. You would have done perfectly in your tests anyway”.  
“I don’t know that, couldn’t take any chances. Severus, I’m ok now. Don’t worry”.  
“I do worry. I went to see you – “  
“ – In the hospital wing?”  
“Yes. As a professor concerned about the health of one of his students”.  
“Yeah, right”.  
“But you were sleeping, so I left to have dinner and when I went back you were already discharged”.  
“She just gave me a potion to sleep; I’m feel much better now”.  
“Good. No more stressing yourself to oblivion, is that clear?”  
Heather smiled, a bit confused. She had never seen Severus so worried, and it was showing in his eyes. He had been preoccupied before, telling her to take better care of herself, but this felt different. He had been by her side in the hospital.  
“Ok. I’ll be more careful, ok? Promise”, Heather whispered and pulled him to her again, kissing him softly on the lips. He accepted the kiss, holding her tight. “You’re all wet”, she said against his lips. “Get in here already”.  
Severus smiled at her and got up. Heather rested again on the tub, closing her eyes. Silently, Severus took off his clothes and joined her. Heather moved a little to give him space and rested her back on his chest. This position was even more relaxing than it had been being alone on the water. He embraced her from behind and she heard him sight relaxing.  
“It’s done”, Heather said after a comfortable silent moment. “I did all the tests”.  
Severus hummed agreeing and kissed her temple.  
“How do you think I did?”  
“I thing – or rather, I know – you did great”.  
“Did you see my test yet? No –“ she interrupted. “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to get nervous again”  
“How do you feel now?”  
“Relived. I’m starting to relax now… Finally”.  
“Good…”, Severus whispered into her ear and she shivered, relaxing even more against his chest. “You earned it”.  
“Severus…”, she whispered as he kissed her shoulders. “Make me forget”.  
She could see the light had gone dimmer through her closed eyes. For a long time she just let her body go, her mind go, giving herself completely to the moment. There were no thoughts. There was only Severus, there was only the hot water and his firm body under hers, his hands slowly caressing her and soothing every single worry away. There was only him, kissing her shoulders and neck, whispering into her ear, his hand roaming and exploring her body. The scent of lavender soap and his aftershave. There was only Severus lifting her to him and fitting her, entering her body and caressing her from the inside. There was nothing else besides her silence as she came above him, her back arching onto his chest, and his hoarse voice saying her name again and again as he released his own tension.   
She woke up from the most delicious slumber from her life, but she was in bed now, dry, warm and comfortable under the covers, Severus’s warm body wrapped around her, his chest to her back. It felt good. Amazing… Perfect, even.  
Her heart pounded. She felt so in love with him at his moment it hurt. She found his hand on one of her breasts and held it firmly, not moving anything else. She breathed slowly, trying to calm down. Why does it have to hurt?, she asked herself, controlling her heart and breathing his scent. It was now all over her bed. He smelled like herbs and aftershave, just like her pillow did now.  
Does it have to hurt?

***  
Severus buttoned up his robes, hiding his back shirt, crumpled from pending the night on a pile on the floor. Nobody would recognize him now. His face was different. It was relaxed, most of his expression lined from scowling all the time partially gone; his eyes peaceful. As complicated as the woman lying in her bed, naked under the covers was, it had all been a discovery, a change – a strangely welcome change. He smiled; he actually caught himself smiling as he watched her, his robes buttoned and ready to go. He sat on the bed by her side and touched her shoulder carefully, shaking her lightly.  
“Heather”, he whispered touching his lips to her face. “I leaving now”.  
“No”, she woke up saying this word, confused and having trouble opening her eyes. “What?”  
“You’re on vacation, have a lie in”, se said kissing her temple. “I have to chaperon the students on their way out.  
“Will you come back?”, she said opening her eyes.  
“As soon as I can. Just answer me that before I go… Do you have plans for the holidays?”  
“Holidays?”, she said frowning. “Oh… Christmas, yeah… No. Not a plan”.  
“Then let’s get out of here together. Just us”.  
Heather looked up at him, her sleepy eyes warming something delightful inside his chest. “Ok”, she said with a little smile.  
“Good”, he said and kissed her forehead. “Go back to sleep”.  
She snuggled again, pulling the covers until it almost covered her face. In seconds she heard the door open and close again.  
Her eyes flew open. Travelling together?

***

December 23rd

It was barely morning when Severus and Heather left the front doors of the castle. Heavy coats protecting then from the wind and snow. The castle as empty, no students having remained back, so most of the staff was also gone.  
“Where are we going, by the way?”, Heather asked, her voice muffled by the coat covering her mouth  
“Somewhere warm”, he said aloud so she would hear him well. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it”.  
She went silent for a long time after that. They reached the gated and Severus opened it for her to slide out and followed her. He looked at her, already relieved to be outside the castle, and saw she didn’t share his feeling. She looked nervous and uncertain.  
“What?”, he asked  
“What? Nothing”.  
“Heather”.  
He just stated her name and she looked at him in the eyes for a moment. Sighing, she decided to voice her worries.  
“I find it – I don’t know how to say it, Severus, it’s just – Going on a trip together. It’s – It feels like…” she stopped and looked down. “It doesn’t sound casual”.  
“Casual? What are you talking about, Heather?”  
“We talked little about it, Severus, but we didn’t really decide anything – about us. We’re not in a relationship, are we? And travelling to spend Christmas together sounds… It screams ‘relationship’”.  
“That’s what you are worried about?”, he asked and his tone made her look up at him again. “Is it that horrible to imagine that?”.  
“No – Severus, it’s just—“  
“Listen to me, Heather. I am not scared. For the first time in my life, I am not scared and I am open to it. You are clearly not, so let’s do this: you make a decision. I’ll be going and you decide if you want to go with me. Take this”, he said reaching inside his pocket and gave her an informative. 'You go find me when you make up your mind”.  
“Severus!”  
“I’m not getting any younger, Heather, and it’s about time I think about my own happiness”, he said and paused, taking a step back from her. “Make – up – your – mind”.  
With that, he apparated away, leaving Heather in the loud and cold wind.


	15. Is That Clear?

December 25th

Greece didn’t feel warm as Severus had told Heather the place they were going was; but it was definitely warmer than Scotland. Heather apparated a few times until she got in the country, unable to do it all in one time because of the distance. She was tired when she finally got to the city, Pylos. She wanted to sit down, rest, eat, but finding Severus and being able to sleep cuddled with him sounded more appealing than that. So she just looked for the hotel, and after long, tiresome houses since she left Hogwarts, she got to the place.  
It was a quite nice hotel, something like what Severus had taken her in London. He had a good taste. Heather felt slightly out of place with her jeans and snickers and a long coat covering a simple long sleeved t-shirt. She felt warm inside it and her forehead was sweating from the apparating, but she entered tee hotel either way and asked for him in the reception. The attendant, with a heavy accent, told her he was in the bar.  
There the light was dim, the decoration sober, people elegant and tan, and the woman that was sitting with Severus was blond, smiling and beautiful, talking to him touching her own hair and leaning in his direction, cleavage showing and attracting his eyes. He was talking to her, a hand on top of the table holding his whiskey, and Heather felt ice in her stomach, fire on her mind.  
Son of a bitch.  
She had stopped there, watching him and the woman, and suddenly she had to go. She had to go immediately of she’d do something she might regret later. Heather turned around and hurried out of the bar, unconscious of the waiter who pas passing behind her with a tray full of glasses. It was loud when it all fell to the floor as Heather hit him hard, and silence fell on the bar as everyone looked at her direction.  
She didn’t dare looking at Severus, she just apologized and rushed out, though the bar, lobby and to the street, where she ran, her face burning in shame, until she found somewhere deserted to apparate away.

December 27th

Heather had found a camping side by one of the most beautiful beached she had ever been to in her life, and rented the cheapest space she could find. She had desired to go away, back at Hogwarts to spend the holidays buried in her bed, or maybe to America see if she could find some friend who had no plans already… But the beach was just too beautiful.  
There was one more reason, she argued with herself. She had seen Severus talking to the woman, yes, but what else had she seen? She felt do angry and jealous at that moment, she couldn’t remember if there really had been some specific that gave her reason. Jealous. That was a new feeling, She had never felt jealous in her life, not even when she was in love with Ryan – he never gave her reasons to. After him, she had never had feelings for anyone. She had never again been in love, so this was foreign and painful. Oh, how she wished to go back in time and just walk over that table and grab the woman’s blond hair and throw her out!  
Severus hadn’t been touching her or even smiling at her, she could remember.  
And now she hated herself.  
He had not looked for her yet, but then again, he didn’t know where she was. The city was not that small. Should I go looking for him?  
No! He was the one who was interacting with women in bars!  
She had just returned to the camping site from the beach, where she had been walking and admiring the sea all afternoon. It had started to grow dark and it was getting colder. She stopped thinking about it, though, when she saw an own was sitting on top of her rented tent. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching, she greeted it and took the parchment from its leg. It flew away immediately. She could recognize his handwriting immediately.  
“Heather,  
I’m still at the hotel. I’d have gone to fetch you, but I don’t know where you are. I hope you didn’t leave Greece. Stop whining, you know there was nothing going on. I’m waiting for you for dinner tonight”.  
Severus”.

>o<

This time she was prepared. A black dress and high heels, makeup on, hair done, she walked into the lobby straight to the restaurant, knowing he would be there. She stopped at the entrance and unwillingly ignored the hostess who tried to speak to her, her eyes trained on the table she had just found. There was she, the beautiful blond, throwing all the charm she could over the man by her side, who was almost in the same position she had seen him days before. Anger rising, she rose her chin and walked among the tables until she got to them. From the corner of her eyes, she saw when Severus saw her and straightened his back, but she wasn’t looking at him. The blond woman looked up at her, a questioning look.  
“Get up. And leave”.  
“Excuse me?”, she said, and even her voice was beautiful. Damn her.  
“Get up”, Heather repeated, slower and firmer. “Turn around. And leave”.  
She saw the woman look at Severus as if looking for protection or something, but Severus had shrugged. Gaping like a fish, she looked back at Heather and, after a moment got up, took her purse and turned around, fuming. Heather watched her go for a longer moment, as the woman got to a table full of other women and sat with them. They all turned to look at Heather, as if outraged. You need more than those looks to scare me off, ladies. Finally satisfied, she turned to look at Severus. He looked more amused than she had ever seen him.  
“What are you smiling at?”, she asked him, sitting by his side. “That wasn’t funny. If she had argued with me I might been forced to hex her”.  
“Hello to you too, Heather”, he smiled and leaned to try to kiss her. She withdrew.  
“Back off, wizard”, he said, frowning. “Will you tell me what was going on? For the second time?”  
“I would have told you that on the first time if you hadn’t run away”.  
“Do you have any idea what it looked like?”  
“If it looked like I was talking to a woman who was clearly trying to get me, and I was politely avoiding her, and clearly telling her I was waiting for someone”, he said, “then it looks exactly like what happened”.  
She had her arms crossed and eyes narrowed at him.  
“You told her you were waiting for someone”.  
“I did”.  
“And she still sat here, Merlin knows how many times, doing what exactly?”  
“Telling me how amazed she was at my profession. Because I teach chemistry at a public school in London”.  
“And she was fascinated at you teaching chemistry in a public school in London”.  
“Of course she was, my profession is very noble”, he smirked  
“You’re making fun of me!”, Heather said and slapped his arm lightly. “It’s serious, don’t you imagine how it felt to come here and find that?”, and when he was about to answer again with a mock, she continued. “I came, Severus. I’m here. Do you understand?”.  
He was silent for a moment, looking at her, and suddenly leaved forward, stopping inches away from her face.  
“I understand, and I also want you to understand something. I am here”, he said and repeated slowly, “I am here”.  
“Show me. Show me and any other woman in this place just whom you’re here with”.  
She saw a lopsided smile in his lips before she saw nothing more. He grabbed her by her nape and puller her strongly. Their lips crushed together but neither cared, kissing urgently, showing each other they were there.  
“Take me away from here”, she said breathlessly on his lips.  
“It’s all I want”, he answered.  
It was a good thing the room Severus was in was in the first floor, easily reachable by the stairs. Severus led Heather out of the restaurant and up in a hurry. The corridor was deserted and they stumbled for the door, kissing and grabbing each other wherever their hands could reach. His back pressed to the door, Severus had a hard time opening it, but refused to make Heather let him go. Once finally inside, she pressed him now against the wall and attacked his lips, her hands fumbling on his clothes. Whatever Severus thought about saying to question her eagerness was always wiped out of his mind by her lips, her tongue and her hands. She opened his shirt and may have ripped a few buttons, but she wasn’t paying attention to it. Severus was still dizzy from her hungry kisses and was surprised when she kneeled in front of him, opening his buttons. He eagerly helped her, but lost his mind when she held him in her hand and pulled him out.  
“Gods, Heather, what is up with yo — Fuck!”, he held on to the wall behind him as she took him into her mouth, her wet, warn tongue licking him and her lips sucking. She held his base and devoured him, on her knees, looking up at him. After the his first reaction, he controlled himself as to enjoy is as much as he could. He held her hair around his fist and heard and felt her hum with around his hardness. Heather bobbed up and down, her lips shut tight around him and felt herself wet and throbbing, completely ready for him.  
But that was not what she had on mind.  
“Heather”, Severus said with bliss and urgency in his voice. “Damn, Heather, I want to fuck you. Let me fuck you!”  
He saw her eyes fill with malice and her lips turned into a smile even with him deep between them. A hand still held him strongly when the other cupped and gently squeezed his balls as she took him in and out of her mouth faster now. He stared into her eyes and groaned, his eyes turning back and his hips jerking. He was moaning and groaning, but she could understand her name, and then he was done. His hand strongly gripping her hair, he pushed deeper into her mouth, his tip touching her throat, and spilled with a loud groan. Heather tried to breathe and take all of it, her own come closer than she would ever imagine without being touched. He throbbed inside her mouth as he came with long spurts, his body trembling.  
She slowly slid her lips along him, taking him out and licking his head, cleaning it. His legs gave and he slid down the wall to sit in front of her, still knelt and licking her lips.  
“That’s so you know”, she said, voice trembling and smiling, “There will be no other woman. Is that clear?”

><><><

Heather absolutely loved Hogwarts. It had been a home a place of new chances and future for the last few months. Now, returning from the most perfect holiday of her life, she just wished she could have been there for a little longer. She climbed the stair to the third floor slowly, enjoying the silence of the castle and remembering the sound of the sea. When she got to the corridor where her room was, the silence was abruptly broken.  
“Miss Sebastian!”, he Headmistress excited and shriek voice startled her. “Good to see you’re back, I was just looking for you!”, she said getting closer to her. “I hope your holidays went well, dear”.  
“It was, headmistress, thank you”, heather said, confused by her presence  
“Good, good. Here, dear, I have something for you”.  
The older woman reached in her inside pocket and handed out a rolled parchment, smiling.  
“What is it?”, her student asked  
“Your grades”, Minerva said. “Go on, open it!”  
She felt something cold in her stomach and hesitated to take it. The headmistress just held the parchment, smiling at her. After a moment, Heather took it and unrolled it quickly, so she wouldn’t lose the courage. Every sleepless hour, every missed dinner, every moment of fear for herself were gone from her mind when her eyes travelled down the parchment.  
“I knew you would do great, dear”, Minerva said when Heather looked back up at her. “But I must confess I didn’t imagine that much”.  
She looked down at the parchment again. A beautiful round “O” accompanied every single subject. Outstanding.  
“Oh, there’s more, Miss Sebastian”, McGonnagall said, know her pupil was in a loss of words, and reached into another pocket, taking out an envelope. Heather took it and opened unthinkingly, and started reading aloud.  
“Dear Miss Sebastian, we, the Board of Governors of Hogwarts Scholl of Witchcraft and Wizardry, do hereby assert that you have the official permission to take part on the Nastily Exhausting Wizardry Tests, as an special exception as a sixth year student. Please see attached your application”.  
She stopped reading there, tears in her eyes, and looked up again. McGonnagal had her hands held together over her heart, smiling tenderly at Heather.  
“I did it”, Heather said, in the verge of crying  
“Yes you did, dear. Congratulations. I dare say, though, you would have done great anyway if you had studied a little less and taken better care of yourself. But I am glad it all worked out for the best”.  
Heather thanked her and felt like hugging the older woman but contained herself, and after a few minutes talking, she finally entered her room, alone, and finally let her tears drop. Laughter followed the tears and soon she was making a private dance and jumping around the room. Such happiness even filled her room with her voice singing We Are the Champions. A long time later, she fell on the chair in front of her studying desk, a silly smile on her face, regaining her breath.  
Two rolls of parchment sat there, she saw just now. The first one she picked up made her smile even larger and her heart pond stronger. It was Jonathan’s. Heart racing but a whole new reason now, she unrolled it.  
“Heather,  
I’m sorry I took long. I had to think about it all, get used to the idea you returned after leaving me, but I feel I had enough time.  
I miss you. You’re my big sister and the possibility of having you in my life again is thrilling. I want to see you. Can you come? It’s pretty hard for me to leave Montana without mom and dad knowing and, well, you know. Just let me know when you can manage, and I’ll be waiting.  
I love you,  
Jon”.  
Her face hurting from smiling so much, she thought about answering immediately, but had to think about what to say. Leaving school would not be easy at all, seeing that she was still forbidden to go out as she was in the beginning. The other parchment on the desk moved her thoughts as soon as she looked at the written name of who had sent it. Her smiled disappeared immediately.  
“Heather,  
My contact in the Board of Governors os Hogwarts informed us that, in spite of him being against it, the majority has decided to allow you to take the tests. He said you had great grades.  
Should I congratulate you? I hardly think so. I have no idea how you did it if you had not been to a proper school since you abandoned your family. Therefore, I am inclined to believe you have cheated in some way, of made someone help you with other even less honored ways.  
An institution such as Hogwarts should not accept that. I am going to make sure they do not.  
Enjoy it while you can. Don’t bother studying for those tests – I don’t think you would, anyway.  
Mother”.  
She laughed aloud. It was the first time she had felt like laughing when hearing from her mother, and it was an amazing surprise. The woman was a joke.  
“Dear mother”, she said aloud writing on another parchment. “You must miss me dearly, for you keep up with my life with incredible ease. Don’t worry about me, mum. I do deserve everything I have now, and I have nobody else to credit for that but myself. I don’t really care if you don’t believe I studied to get those results. I did, and your opinion does not matter to me. I hasn’t mattered for quite a few years now. I am your daughter and, in spite of everything that happened, you must miss me very much. Don’t try to destroy me even further that you did in the past because of that. It is your entire fault, not mine. If you feel like that, please just try to be contented with that: I am happy. Heather”.  
She ran out of her room and down the stairs without thinking, parchment in hand. Pushing open the heavy front doors, she stepped out and ran into someone’s chest. That chest she knew very well. Severus held her by the shoulders and looked startled at her and then quickly around to see if no one would hear.  
“Hi”, Heather said, smiling and breathless  
“Where are you going?”, he asked her, letting her go  
“To the owlery, sending a response to my dear mother. She heard I got perfect grades on my tests and was officially allowed to take the NEWTs and wrote to me telling she would make the board kick me out”, she said in one breath. “And I’m telling her to sod off”, she finished, showing him the parchment  
“Hold on a moment”, Severus said, impatiently. “Is this how you chose to tell me you had perfect grades on the tests and was officially allowed to take the NEWTs?”  
The smile Severus saw on her face now was bigger than he had even seen in her face, and she just nodded.  
“I mean, I knew you had an O in Defense, being the one who graded you that”, he smiled a little, “but in every test?”, he said and saw her nod again, now almost skipping on her place. “It’s not fair to tell me that in public where I cannot hug and congratulate you”.  
“You’ll do it tonight. I’ll wait for you after dinner!”, she said and rounded him, running down the staircase to the owlery, now really skipping.


	16. Air

The fire was creaking in the silence of the room, the soft yellow light warming the space. On the couch, Severus sat with a blanket covering his legs and the sleepy form of Heather tucked against his chest in deep slumber. He stroked her hair for a long time, until she relaxed completely after a long day of studying, working herself too hard once again.  
He was tired too. The new term had restarted after the holidays and after travelling with her and being more relaxed than he ever remembered being, returning to the dunderheads was difficult. However, she was on his chest now, peaceful, and it healed him.  
He was looking down at her and at once, he knew what he wanted to do. Everything was so clear he questioned himself as why he hadn’t known it before.  
Severus Snape was in love.  
He smiled and didn’t bother trying to stop. Nobody was watching. Nobody but him had to know how that conclusion moved him. His smile grew larger when he notice something weird in his eyes as well, something that had not happened in over twenty years – tears were forming. Emotion was finally flowing out of him, out of where it had been strongly locked and forgotten for all of this time.  
He had survived the war.  
The penny dropped. He lifted his eyes from Heather’s face and looked around. I have really survived. It was more than just surviving the snake and Voldemort’s attack, it was more than surviving every single challenge he had been though during all of those years. What he felt now was about his heart surviving. His heart and his feelings had been beaten up, tortured and agonized; to the point he did believe they were dead. Nevertheless, his heart had survived. It was now surfacing, fighting for air and breathing.  
He looked down again. Heather had not moved; she hadn’t seen his smile and his tears. He reached up and dried his face with his free hand. Air. It was the word that came to mind to describe the young woman in his arms. So much younger than him, damn, nearly twenty years younger!, but who had lived a lot, who was mature, strong, so complicated and independent.  
My love.  
“Whiskers!”, he said suddenly, his voice low enough not to wake Heather, but determined enough to echo in the room. A house elf popped in front of him a few seconds later and saw the professor holding the sleepy student. Her eyes went wide but she just bowed.  
“Bring me the headmistress, please”, he said, almost in a whisper. “Tell her everything is ok and it is not an emergency, but that I wish to see her here as soon as possible. Tell her the door will be open”.  
Nodding and bowing again, the elf disappeared.  
McGonagall took only five minutes to knock lightly and slowly push the door open. Severus looked back at the door, over the back of the couch, and nodded her to come closer. Minerva got closer to him and rounder the couch, only now seeing Miss Sebastian was asleep in his arms.  
“Severus?”, Minerva said instinctively in a low voice. “What is happening?”  
“Please sit, Minerva, and I will explain”.  
She sat slowly in a chair by the fire, eyes glued to the couple on the couch.  
“Are you aware of how inappropriate this is?”, she asked in a whisper  
“I met Heather before classes started”, he started as to stop her from speaking more. “A few weeks before this term she was working in a pub in Hogsmeade, singing. I was there. I approached her. We got involved”.  
“Involved?”, she repeated.  
“We slept together, please don’t pretend you didn’t understand”, he said rolling his eyes. “She didn’t tell me she was about to start in Hogwarts. I didn’t tell her I was a professor here. Neither of us knew. It lasted two weeks and, before classes started, she broke it off. She said she was leaving and we were finished”.  
Minerva had her eyes wide, Severus had just started talking and telling her those things so suddenly it took her aback. She was glad he was telling her things; in all of those years she had known him, since he started as an eleven years old student, he had never opened up and told her anything willingly.  
The fact what he was telling was that he got involved with a student only made her astonishment worse.  
“Then I saw her at Ravenclaw table. I tried, I know she did as well to stay away, it was already over anyway, but –“, he stopped and looked from Minerva to Heather. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it. To stay away from her”, and looked again at the old woman. “Neither could she. We got back together… And we’ve been developing a relationship ever since”.  
Severus had expected her to get shriek and point his finger at her and to be an old prude, and prepared himself to see her get up and point her finger at him, maybe tell him she’d have to sack him. He had briefly thought about that and concluded he wouldn’t mind, as long as Heather was not expelled from school.  
However, Minerva just stared at him, her mouth a little agape, and then observed Heather sleeping is his arms and how he protectively held her. Severus just waited until she closed her mouth, swallowed and took a deep breath before speaking again.  
“What is this, Severus? Are you two sleeping together, or…?”, she asked, not finishing it  
Severus was quiet for a moment and looked at Heather again before answering. “We are, Minerva, and it has happened inside the castle, I knew you’d worry about that”, and paused. “But there is more”.  
Minerva seemed to relax at that, surprising Severus. “Do you have feelings for her?”, she asked  
“Yes”, he said without thinking, nodding slowly. “I do”.  
She smiled and held her hands to her chest. Severus frowned. What was happening? She was supposed to be very angry right now, wasn’t she?  
“Why are you smiling, Minerva?”, she asked.  
“I’m simply happy for you, my dear”, she whispered excitedly. “Although I know all the complications, you’re a professor in this institution and she is your student, if the board finds out you know how much trouble it would be for you, but for her even more with all the problems she’s already had with them”, she looked worried for a moment. “But you’ve been very discreet for six months; I never imagined anything was happening, and neither does them. If you promise me to keep being careful and professional about it, I see no reason why I would be against it. Oh, my dear”, she looked at him tenderly; “you deserve that. I cannot imagine anyone in this world who deserved a chance of happiness more than you do”.  
Severus felt like a pathetic, old overly sentimental fool now with his eyes stinging and getting wet again. Minerva had been one of the people who had hated him the most in the past, when he had to kill Dumbledore. She had attacked him in the beginning of the final battle and applauded by everyone else when he fled.  
“I appreciate it, Minerva”, was all he was able to say.  
“Why did you decide to tell me that, Severus?”, Minerva asked quietly and looked at Heather. “Is there something wrong with Miss Sebastian?”  
“There is nothing wrong; there is a situation, though, in which I will need your help, so I will be able to help her. It is important”.  
The old woman just nodded him to tell her; quietly, Severus briefly told her that Heather had a younger brother who lived in America and from whom she had been apart for long years, and had now the unique chance to meet him again and make amendments.  
“That’s where I could use your help”, he said. “I want to take Heather to America for an entire weekend. We will need to go around the board to do that, and they obviously cannot know anything about it”.  
>0<  
Severus watched as McGonagall closed the door silently behind her and, as he looked back down at Heather, he whispered “How long have you been listening?”  
“All the time”, Heather whispered back, her voice hoarse from sleepiness.  
“Any comments?”  
“Uh…”, she said blinking and sitting up, but still facing him. “I am pretty surprised. Why did you do that?”  
“Leaving the castle for a weekend to visit your family is nothing absurdly wrong so it would have to be done in the dark. Going around the board means nothing to me, but escaping from the headmistress would be more complicated. In Christmas, you were able to leave the castle because it was on a break; not it would be different. She would know the very moment you crossed those gates. I don’t want it to bring you any trouble, so I decided to tell her”.  
“But about us?”  
“I plan to go with you, as you very well heard it. A new student, who is of age, disappearing from the castle in a weekend and her professor doing the same simultaneously would open a world of speculations of her suspicious mind”, he said and paused, reaching for her face and caressing her lightly. “I don’t want any more lies in my life that what is strictly necessary. Hiding this from the board is necessary. From Minerva, as you just witnessed it, is not”.  
Heather just stared at him silently and impressed. She couldn’t deny the outcome had been better than she would imagine, and that she also didn’t enjoy lies, but seeing Severus taking control of the situation, of the relationship, took her slightly aback. Not in a bad way, though.  
“Ok”, she finally said. “So you’re taking me to America”.  
“Yes, I am”.  
She just looked at him silently for a long moment, and he just waited. He knew how much that meant to her, and for a moment expected her to cry and thank him, but he knew her better. He just waited.  
He didn’t leave her eyes as she reached out to touch his face, her fingers softly brushing against his skin. He felt her slowly trace his face with her fingertips, his cheek, slowly up to his forehead and the line of his hair; she traces his eyebrows and down to his nose, until the tip. After so much physical intimate moments, Severus felt suddenly self-continuous. Heather had never traced his face like that, observed him in such details and from such closeness. He hated that nose, always had, although he learned to live with it. He could have changed it, but why bother? But now she was looking and touching it, his large nose and his age wrinkles that had to be making their age difference scream at her. Heather would notice. If she kept looking so intently at him like this, she would notice she could do so much better, she could find someone younger, someone her age, she didn’t have to waste her youth and her beauty on someone old and scared like him –  
Every rushed, painful thought disappeared from his head in an instant, when she touched his lips and replaced them by her lips. She kissed him softly, a hand cupping his face, and his eyes dropped close and he just felt. There was no need to think.  
He felt her lips against his and her warm hand, her weight still against his chest as she pulled him closer, hugging him. He didn’t move, just let her clutch him to her as the tip of her tongue invite him to open for her; and he gladly did. She pressed against him harder when their tongues met, breathing in and sliding her hand to the back of his head.  
Her mouth never leaving his, Heather sat up and straddled him, fitting perfectly in his lap. He held her there by the waist, but didn’t move any further. She still kissed him slowly, but deeper now. Her hands leaving his face to find the top buttons of his shirt. She undid them patiently, one by one, and Severus shivered when he felt her warm hands touch his chest and glide on his skin, to his back and sides, and her kisses now on his face and neck. She arched into him, seeking the most contact with his body that she could, and he sighed, breathing slowly to control his desire to take over.  
Her travelling, tantalizing hands went down now, finding his waistband and starting to undo it. Severus let go of her waist to let his hands rest on the couch on his sides, and a moan escaped when she reached in and took his out of the confines of his trousers. He hadn’t noticed how hard he already was. She held him firmly in her hand and kissed him again, so much deeper now, he could feel her breath and rock on his lap. He hissed into her lips, her hand starting to move up and down on him, tight and slow, until he was breathing heavily, eyes fluttering and he tried to keep them open, looking at her flushed face staring at him. She let him go suddenly and didn’t have time for him do complain, for she was now taking off her tank top, her breasts bouncing to view right in the line of his eyes.  
She gasped aloud when he moved, his hands grabbing her by the back, holding her in pace and he took one of them into his mouth. His erection now free, she felt him hard and throbbing against her crotch, through her shorts and knickers. Severus kissed and licked and nipped on her both breasts and she moaned, grinding herself against him, rocking her hips, jerking movements making her wetness go through the fabric and moist his cock.  
He groaned and he held her on place with a hand and grabbed her bottom with the other, making her move even harder on him. Her shorts and knickers were slid to the side easily and he reached her under then. She gasped at the touch of his fingers and he felt her wet and warm, just prepared for him.  
As one, they reached between them, urgently, to place him on her entrance. Grabbing the back of his neck and groaning in pleasure, Heather slid down slowly and continuously, until he was entire engulfed in her, hitting her bottom. She sat on him for a moment, feeling her fill her up and hearing him roar in pleasure. His strong hands grabbing her ass, he forced her down and rocked her. He cursed aloud before taking her breasts again, his hands letting her go to travel all over her skin, wherever he could reach. Gasping and moaning incoherently now, Heather started moving her hips up and down. Her nails were digging into the skin of his nape and shoulders and he didn’t seem to care, lost in the heat and passion, their bodies meeting each time stronger and faster, until both of there were breathless and sweating together. Heather went silent, throwing her head back, her hips jerking into his, pulling him to come with her.  
Foreheads resting together as they controlled their breaths, Heather held his face again and moved to kiss him, and placed chaste, soft kisses all over his face.  
"Hey... What's that for?", Severus asked, surprised with this demonstration, although he felt it was a very good surprise  
"You... It's just... Oh, Severus".  
She hugged him, her gripp aroung him strong and emotional.  
"Shhhh, it's ok", he said, not even knowing why. "We're fine".  
He got up, his trembling legs on the after match almost giving, and carried her, still clutched to him, to her bed. They lay together and she rested on his chest, eyes closed, face buried. Severus fell asleep rather quickly, and didn’t know Heather took a long time to be able to relax her mind.  
How could he be that good for her? He was a closed, serious man, rude to most people, energetic in class. A man she had met and shagged in a bar on the first night, who she thought would never be more than that, and didn’t even want to. He had entered her life and was taking his place, becoming part of her days, of her conquers and victories, and - Gods, my future?, she questioned herself. Overwhelmed by that thought, she tried to think of something else, of Jonathan and the fact that she was really going to see him again.  
It didn’t help her relaxing a lot.


	17. Jonathan

February 16th

“Come,” Severus said quietly. “The hotel is this way”.  
“How do you know?”  
“There’s a sign”.  
Heather looked to where he pointed and saw a sign with many directions. Feeling quite numb, Heather let Severus hold her arm and take her on the right direction. He led her, asked for a room and took her upstairs. She felt like she wasn’t even there. The only thought other than Jonathan and their upcoming meeting was how glad she was that Severus was there with her.  
She hoped Jonathan would like him.  
It was not a luxurious hotel; it was simple and practical, designated to those visiting the campus for short stays. They entered a room, simple with a double bed, a breakfast table, wardrobe and a bathroom that didn’t have a bath. Severus took out two small packs from his pocket and motioned his wand over them; the suitcases enlarged on the floor. Heather went to the window and looked attentively outside, scanning for something.  
“Write him a note”, Severus’ voice cut her out of her revere. She looked at him. “Let him know you are here already... And please calm yourself; he wants you here, it will be fine”.  
He was surprised by her eyes watering as she looked at him. She took a deep, shuddering breath and took long quick steps towards him and threw herself in his arms, hugging him tightly.  
“Thank you”, she said, her voice muffled into his clothes. “I don’t even – I can’t—“  
He just chuckled lowly, his chest vibrating under her ear, and held her as tight as she was.  
“I mean it, Severus”, she said after a moment, her voice calmer. “You have no idea what this means to me”.  
“Yes, I do. That’s why I brought you here”.  
She looked up, still holding him, and they looked at each other very closely. She smiled. “I am so glad that infamous snake didn’t kill you”.  
Severus smiled. A small, sideways smile, and brought his hands to her face. “So am I”, and paused. “Now get off me and go write that note”.

>0<

Heather stood there, in the middle of the patio, trembling inside, looking up at the eyes of a young man. His eyes looked just like hers.  
“How dare you get taller than me?”, was the first thing she could voice.  
He smiled and her heart warmed. He reached and tapped the top of her head. “It wasn't that difficult”, he said.  
She laughed, a little breathless and looked down, overwhelmed. She had dreamed of that moment for years, imagining what to say and how to act, and what she would do to get reacquainted to her little brother, to whom she had been so close in the past.  
And if she couldn’t get that back, she’d have nobody to blame but herself.  
“Heather”, the young man said, making her look up again. Jonathan saw her big sister’s eyes filled with tears. “Maybe we should start with just a hug”.  
She gladly let him pull her to a hug; it was shy at first, but as she felt her tears escape she gave up on holding in any emotion. There, in the middle of the school’s patio, she cried into her little brother’s shoulder. It was like all the waiting and struggle were worth it, they were coming close to an end; the thing she had desired the most was now true.  
He didn’t hate her.  
“I’m so sorry, Jon”, she managed to say. “I’m so sorry I left you”.  
“I’m sorry too, Heats”, he said and she could hear in his voice that he was also emotional, despite the fact he was not crying. “I’m sorry for the things I thought and felt for you. I knew nothing; I didn’t know what had happened”.  
“No”, she said and withdrew from him, looking up closely to his face. “You have nothing to be sorry about”.  
“Neither do you, not anymore. We’re ok now, Heats”.  
“They must have said the most horrible things about me”.  
They finished the hug but Jon held her hand. “Yes, they did”, he said honestly and she looked down again. “Come on; I’ll show you the school and then we can talk in my room”.

>0<

Heather sat comfortably at the foot of his bed, her back to the wall, while he sat in a reclining chair with his feet resting on the bed. They had butterbeers in their hands and had just come back from a quick tour through the campus.  
“I didn’t know they took in such young apprentices”, Heather was saying. “I thought you had to have finished school”.  
“Well”, he said and took a sip of his beer, thoughtfully. “That is actually true. You have to have finished school to be an apprentice”.  
“But you’re sixteen, Jon. There’s no way you’d have finished school already and started apprenticing so quickly”.  
“I had perfect scores in Transfigurations since my first year. It called the Montana’s attention. They invited me and I was allowed to leave school to start early, but when the time for the NEWTs to come, next year, I’ll have to take them anyways. Montana will be giving me a six month’s leave to prepare for that, and then I’ll come back”.  
“Well, that’s great!”.  
“Yeah, it’s not”.  
“What? Why?”  
“I am pretty sure dad paid, or asked a small favor, something like that. He is friends with a few members of the institution’s board and is always probing around”.  
“Oh”.  
“Yeah…”  
“But Jon, you said your grades have been perfect from day one, even if he pushed it a little, you did deserve it as well”.  
“I don’t know… I’d prefer I got the apprenticeship like everybody else. Take the NEWTs, graduate, run for it against other candidates, and then get it. Not like this… falling in my lap as it has. I have colleagues here who are older and had to do all of it, when I… Well, I just had good grades. But so did all of them”.  
“Damn Sebastian”, Heather said and Jon looked at her curiously. “You would have entered Montana by your own merit. I know you would. But he had to pull his strings, he had to have everything in his hands, to be in control of it. You’d be enjoying it so much more if you had entered on your own…”  
He nodded, looking thoughtfully at his sister, silent for a moment before saying, “You still hold a large grudge towards him, don’t you?”  
“Grudge is a very mild word”, she said not needing to think. “And I just imagine the things they must have told you about me... The lies”.  
She gulped down large gulps of butterbeer, finishing her bottle, as to swallow down the anger. It was her first encounter with Jon; she didn’t want to spoil it having a fit.  
“I met Sarah”, Jonathan said after a long moment of silence. “About a year ago. Your school friend Sarah, remember?”  
“Of course. I owe Sarah so much… She and her parents helped me after I escaped; I lived with them that summer”.  
“She didn’t tell me that. In fact, she didn’t tell me anything, said you had made her promise not to tell a soul”.  
Heather smiled. “I would trust her with my life. Especially back then. It’s sad that life has drifted us apart”.  
“Yeah. Life does that”.  
They looked at each other in silence for a moment, until Jonathan spoke again.  
“Would you tell me again?”, he said and paused. “I know you told me briefly in that letter, but… I feel like I need to know more about what… They are capable of doing”, he asked and saw Heather look down. He got up from his chair and went to sit by his sister’s side, taking her hand and making her look at him.  
“I have a girlfriend, Heats”, he said. “She’s muggleborn”.

>0<

Jonathan was still by Heather’s side, but now looking in the same direction she was, still and quiet. Heather breathed out painfully as she told the last of the details, and then looked at him. There were tears making wet paths down his cheeks.  
“You didn’t mention the baby”, he said quietly.  
“I – what?”  
“In the letter. You said what they did to Ryan... But you didn’t mention your baby”.  
“I thought… It would be too much to put in a letter. Couldn’t find the words”.  
“I can see why. I’ve always known about their prejudices; they are very clear about them. I confess I did believe them for a while”, he said and Heather flinched, “but when I came to Great Falls and met new people, and then Giovanna –“  
“Your girlfriend?”  
“Yes. Her parents are Italian, and muggles. Only then, did I start to see things differently. My most brilliant teacher is a half-blood, and then it didn’t make sense anymore. I’ve been feeling more distant from them every day. Now… Merlin, what they did to you because you were seeing a muggle… What would they do to me if they knew about Giovanna?”  
“There’s no way to tell what they would do, Jonny… But word of advice: don’t let them find out. Ever”.  
He nodded sadly and looked down.  
“After I finish school and this apprenticeship I’ll be independent and they won't have a word in my life anymore. But I can’t withdraw from them completely, though”.  
“Why not?”  
“Their money. They might disinherit me as they did to you, and I don’t want to be deprived of their fortune”.  
“You – “, she paused, her heart tightening painfully inside her chest. “You will keep up with them just because of the money?”  
“Of course. It’s ours by right”.  
“Yours”, she corrected him firmly. “Not ours, yours”.  
“Ours, Heather”, Jonathan said as firmly as his sister and looked at her. “When I receive all of it, your half will be safe. After everything they did to you, it’s the least you deserve”.  
“Jon, you don’t have to –“  
“ – Yes, I Do!”  
“Please, listen to me!”, she turned on the bed and held his hands. “I’ve been on my own for over six years now. I’ve been working, saving money, dealing with my own problems, and I entered the most expensive school in the magical world with my own money. After I leave Hogwarts I will find a job, I will specialize in something, I will have a great job, a good position, and I will make my own money. If I must have any fortune in my future, it will be a fortune I’ll have made myself and it will feel so much better knowing I didn’t need anything from them. I appreciate it, little brother, I really do, but I’d prefer if you did something really good with the fortune, invest in your future and in your family with Giovanna or with anyone you want, no matter the blood status; give it to charity, anything”, she said firmly and smiled. “I don’t want it and I don’t need it. One of the greatest revenges I’ve ever imagined against them, was to use their money to help muggles living in poverty. African muggles”.  
Jonathan laughed, “That would drive them crazy!”.  
“That would!”, she laughed with him.  
“You’re right”, he said sobering up. “I understand that decision. And I promise I’ll do something good with it. I don’t know about family or anything, I’ve only been with Gio for four months, and God, I’m only sixteen! You, on the other hand – “  
“Oh, Jonny”.  
“You gotta have someone. I’m sure you do, you are all gorgeous and independent and strong. Someone must have fallen for you already”.  
“Well, I do have someone”.  
“Tell me about him”.  
“It’s complicated”.  
“What’s his name?”  
“Severus”.  
“Severus. That’s one severe name!”  
“It suits him. He’s a very serious and austere looking man. He’s older, you know.”  
“Do I get to meet your boyfriend?”  
“Boyfriend? I didn’t say he was my boyfriend”.  
“It was implied. Is he not?”  
“We are involved, and it’s great, but we haven’t decided yet. He’s here, waiting at the hotel”.  
“Oh, wait. He’s here? In Great Falls?”  
“Yes”.  
“Why? Did he have something to do here?”  
“No, He brought me. I couldn’t leave the school alone and he’s… Oh God, I didn’t tell you that. He’s a teacher at Hogwarts”.  
Jonathan laughed aloud at that before saying “He’s your teacher?”  
“Yes”, she said trying not to laugh. “It’s not funny, it really is complicated”.  
“Damn it Heather, the man risks his job at school to be with you, brings you over from England –“  
“Scotland”  
“Scotland to America, to Montana! And you still don’t call him a boyfriend? Poor guy”.  
“Jon, I mean it, it’s complicated!”  
“What’s complicated about it?”  
“It’s…”, she said and couldn’t finish the sentence. Looking down she rested her back on the wall again and thought for a moment. “It’s – Ryan”.  
Jonathan went quiet, waiting for her to explain, but she didn’t. “What about Ryan? Do you still love him? After all these years?”  
“It’s not that I still love him. I think maybe somehow I will always love him, but not like that”.  
“Then what?”  
She thought silently for a moment, not really sure of what she felt or how to explain it. “It’s my fault”, she said so quietly that for a moment Jonathan didn’t know if he had heard her right.  
“Damn… You blame yourself?”, he asked.  
“How could I not? I destroyed his life”.  
“Oh, God. I'm starting to think I’m the big brother now. Heather, it wasn’t you”.  
“I didn’t point the wand at him, but if I hadn’t been with him it would never have happened. He would be in college now, he was going to medical school, but now… He must be like a six year old boy, and all because he got involved with me”.  
“It is a tragedy, of course. It should never have happened. And I’m sure if you had the chance you would change everything. But it’s done, Heats. You could never have imagined they would do that –“  
“ – I should have imagined! I knew how they felt about blood status”.  
“How could you be dark and crude enough to imagine that they’d do something that sordid? You should have imagined they would forbid you to be with him, but that? Nobody would ever have imagined that. There was nothing you could do. You can’t be so hard on yourself, you didn’t cause it on purpose. And even now, years after, when he’s probably relearning everything he forgot and might still have this great future you mentioned, you can’t allow yourself to be happy? That sound more like self-pity to me”.  
“What?”, she said looking at him sharply  
“I’m sorry if it sounds harsh, but that’s my impression. Self-pity. You’re chastising yourself and this Severus guy with you”. He saw her eyes go wet as she looked down again. “It takes someone from the outside to see these things, Heats. I don’t think you’re doing it on purpose or that you want other’s pity, but that’s how it sounded to me. You do deserve to be happy. You’re young and you have been through so much already… You need to permit yourself to find happiness”.  
She was crying quietly. Trying to dry her face with the back of her hand, she sniffed and said, “I might have found it already”.  
“Maybe, yes. Come on, the man brought you here. He didn’t have to. Maybe when I meet him I’ll see how he acts with you and have a better impression, but... Well, it is pretty clear to me”.  
She looked at him, “God, when did you become an adult, Jon?”  
“Probably around the same time you did”.

>0<

It was a muggle bar, filled with loud people enjoying their Saturday night. Severus opened the door and let Heather enter first. He held her hand as they went straight to the counter,squeezing between two couples.  
“I really hope I like her”, Heather was saying nervously. “I don’t want to restart my relationship with my brother by having problems with his girlfriend”.  
“Two Ballantine’s, one with one ice, one with three rocks of ice in a tall glass”, he said in a strong voice as to be heard over the noise.  
“I can’t even believe he actually has a girlfriend!”, she kept talking. “For me it’s like he is still that little boy I left. But you had to hear how mature he sounded when we talked, how certain and smart he is. But anyways, he is just sixteen and has a girlfriend! A serious girlfriend”.  
“What were you doing when you were sixteen?”,, Severus asked turning to face her  
“I – “, she paused. “I was getting pregnant and having an abortion”.  
“My point exactly”.  
“But I don’t want anything like that for him. Or for the girl! I hope he lives every phase of his life the way it’s supposed to –“  
“Heats!”, Jonathan poked her shoulder making her turn on her stool.  
“Hey! There you are!”, she said happily and hugged him.  
“Sorry I was a little late. I was waiting for Gio but she got stuck in a test this afternoon and took longer to get ready. She’ll be here soon”.  
“Good, I can’t wait to meet her”, she said and saw Jonathan look to Severus. “Jonny, this is Severus Snape. Severus, my little brother Jonathan”.  
Severus extended his hand to him. “Good to meet you”.  
“Likewise”, Jonathan smiled. “So, you are my sister’s boyfriend?”  
Eyes widening, Heather looked from Jonathan to Severus and saw him smile – actually smile – before answering, “Yes, I suppose I am”.

>0<

February 17th

She was moving slowly on top of him, torturously slowly, blanket wrapped over her shoulders. He was watching her intently, eyes roaming her face and looking deep in her eyes. They were quiet, she was moving him in and out of her inch by inch, feeling him inside her. His eyes made her feel him more inside of her than just under the blanket.  
“Severus…”, she whispered stilling on him for a moment.  
“Yes, my dear”, he whispered back, his voice raspy as he tucked her hair behind her ears.  
“You are my boyfriend”.  
A smile spread slowly on his face, looking up at her.  
“I am. I have been for a while now”.  
She smiled and moved on him again, just a little bit faster now. He could see her eyes were shining with unshed tears.  
“I think since I met you, I have cried more than I have in years”  
“You’re allowing yourself to feel again”, Severus said, holding her tightly against him. “And so am I”.


	18. A first time for everything

May

The preparations for the upcoming NEWT’s were not only taking every bit of usable time from the seventh year students, who were studying hard and preparing their papers to deliver at the end of term; but also the professors’, elaborating and correcting sample tests and coordinating students producing their end-of-course papers. Severus had, as he did every year, reserved the last hours of the day every Tuesdays and Thursdays to counseling, and students would show up more nervous by the day.  
Heather was no exception, but she did force herself to show up in his office just when he would scream behind the closed door that he would not be seeing anyone else.  
“What part of from ‘three thirty to six o’clock’ is so difficult to understand?”, he stormed opening his office door, only to see his girlfriend standing on the hallway, student’s uniform, holding a heavy book to her chest.  
“I’m sorry, professor, I know it’s past six”, she said, unaffected. “But I promise I’ll be really quick, I have only two things to discuss”.  
Scowling and cursing her lack of punctuality, he let her in and closed the door behind his back. A quick movement of his wand locked it.  
“Did you read Karsten’s last paper on the use of Muggle medical technology in Magic healing?”, she asked excitedly.  
“Obviously”, he answered seriously. “Is your visit professional?”  
“It is. Well, partly. What did you think of it?”  
“I thought you’d be here for a personal visit since we haven’t met in almost five days”.  
Heather laughed, “Not that! About Karsten. It’s important”.  
He crossed his arms saying, “I thought he was incredibly arrogant on his position, but he has a point. Although he did contradict – “  
“– He was contradictory, wasn’t he?”, she asked, agreeing. “In his early papers he expressed another opinion on Muggle medical technology. It’s like he completely changed his mind”.  
“Absolutely not”, Severus disagreed. “have you really read his early papers?”  
“Of course! My work is about him, you know that. I know he used to have a divided opinion about mingling the two cultures and knowledge, but recently he had been inclined to agree it was a good thing for wizarding medicine. Now, though, I can’t figure what he really thinks. If he did put his foot down on the opinion he expressed in this last publication, the content of my own paper may completely change!”  
Severus kept talking to her about the wizard’s article and Heather’s paper about him as he walked to a cabinet and poured two glasses of whiskey. He handed Heather one and took a sip, the warmth going down his throat starting to relax him after a full day. Heather held hers for a while, excitedly talking about the new paths her paper would take. It was long minutes later when she decided to drink. But only a sip was enough for her to make a face and give the glass back to him.  
“What is it?”, he asked, finding it incredibly weird. She had never denied a drink.  
“I don’t know, I don’t really want it”.  
“Are you alright?”, he asked smirking  
“I guess. I just think if I drink my ideas will abandon me”.  
Severus eyed her frowning for a moment before putting his glass down on his desk and standing right in front of her.  
“You have stopped eating again, haven’t you?”  
“No! I eat…”  
“Don’t lie to me. I you look pale and I could bet you have lost weight again. Am I wrong?”  
“I don’t weigh myself that often. I am fine, Severus”.  
“Look at that!”, he said impressed. He had reached for her hand and was now holding her wrist. He could round it with his middle and index fingers, with space to spare. “Whiskers!”, he said aloud to the general space of the room. A house elf popped in immediately. “We’re having dinner here today”, Severus told her and then started ordering food to the house elf, filled with appetizers, main course, dessert and fruit juices. Heather had no appetite at all for all of that, but she knew she wouldn’t convince Severus otherwise.  
The moment when the dishes, beautiful looking and smelling popped on Severus’ dinner table, Heather felt her stomach groan and her mouth water. She really was hungry. Karsten and his article were forgotten as she ate with Severus, small talk as they shared their days. Heater felt the stress slowly lifting from her shoulders and was amazed about how Severus could always do that to her.  
After their dishes were empty they were replaced by the dessert, an amazingly smelling chocolate pie. Heather growled at the view, making Severus smile. She dug into it, closing her eyes in delight, and finished her piece quickly. Licking her lips, she looked at her boyfriend and saw he hadn’t eaten any.  
“Aren’t you gonna eat?”, she asked. “It’s delicious!”  
Severus slowly wiped his mouth with a napkin before placing in on the table and getting up. He rounded the table slowly and pulled Heather’s chair, making space for him to kneel in front of her. She just looked at him, expectantly.  
“There is enough chocolate on your cheek to feed my hunger”.  
He leaned into her and slowly licked her lips, tracing them and going further, now licking the chocolate off her skin. Heather stood very still just feeling his movements, her eyes closing slowly, only opening when she missed his touch on her. Looking at him, she saw him lick his lips.  
“Hm, you’re right”, he purred still very close to her. “It is delicious”.  
Heather moaned lowly at him, making Severus’ eyes go hungrier right as he did it again. “There’s a little more here”, he whispered licking her lips again.  
Heather laughed breathless and let him lick her, her hands softly going to his face and gliding down his neck and shoulders. When her face is clean, Severus looked at her, tasting the delicious chocolate and letting his hands travel down her back to hold her hips. They stared at each other for a moment, and Heather could feel herself going warmer under his gaze. Her hands on his neck quickly found his hair and pulled him to her.  
They kissed slowly, languidly tasting the chocolate in each other’s mouths, for several long moments. Heather sighed and was leaning against him, almost sliding from her chair, and moaned in protest when Severus stopped kissing her and rose to his feet. Holding her hands, he pulled her up and walked her to his bedroom.  
Once they were by his bed, he started slowly undressing her, piece by piece, her robe, shirt, skirt, shoes and socks and finally her underwear, and just then he finally started touching and kissing her. Heather had been almost to the point of begging, but had tried to just be patient. Severus liked to be slow and gentle sometimes, and she was more than happy to let him do it in his own pace.  
Kissing and licking her neck, he pushed her gently onto bed, where she sat and looked up at him. His eyes never leaving hers, she started to undo his shirt. Tentatively, Heather reached for his pants and looked up at him as to ask if it was ok. He nodded his permission and let her undo them, but she didn’t touch him anymore than necessary, sliding them carefully down his legs. He was hard already, but she had seen him harder. She recognized that as a sign that he was all about her tonight.  
Severus leaned down and kissed her languidly before whispering “On all fours” to her. Heather got up, turned to face the bed and climbed in; resting on her fours just like her boyfriend had told her to. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Severus’ eyes roaming over her body. Chills ran up her spine in anticipation and she looked to the wall again, lowering her chest to rest on the mattress. She heard a low grunt from behind her and smiled.  
For the next long minutes, Severus pleasured her and made her forget about the world outside. At first he touched her with his hand as he kissed and nibbled on her back. His fingers leisurely massaging her folds, feeling them grow wetter by the second, and then entered her, deep and fast, making her moan and swirl under his hands. His kisses slid down one by one until they reached her bottom. He took her time there, exploring her skin until she was begging for it.  
With two fingers pumping in and out of her, he finally let her feel his mouth on her. He licked her back hole and she gasped at the contact, relaxing in a second. He was tentative at first, but soon her moans and hisses turned him on enough to use his tongue and lips to explore her tight hole, quickly making it contract before his eyes as Heather started losing control, begging him to take her. Anywhere he wanted.  
That was just what he was waiting to her. His mouth leaving her wet and lubricated, Severus got up and wasted no more time to enter her, her wet passage welcoming him. It felt like coming home. They moaned and groaned together at the feeling. He slid his hands up and down her back and saw her twist like a cat while he took control over his body and instead of fucking her senseless, he slid out and in again slowly, feeling each delicious inch of her and hearing her voice as she moaned in pleasure. Her butt up in the air for him, giving perfect access to her pussy and her tight pucker, staring up at him. She was rolling her hips against him, taking her pleasure, and he decided it was time to start preparing her.  
He bent over her back and moved her hair to the side, giving him access to her shoulder and neck. He licked her, her satin, salty skin, and she shivered and rolled her hips harder against him. She was moaning loud now, hips jerking up, and then she went silent, coming on his cock and he straightened up to take her like he knew she liked. He held her waist steady and entered her over and over, the sound of their slapping flesh filling the room. She was incoherent in her words now from the force of her release. While she came back down he massaged her back and her buttocks, and slowly placed a finger on her ass. He massaged it carefully before bringing his fingers to his mouth and wetting it. She whimpered a little when he forced the tip of his finger in, but relaxed when he moved his cock inside her again. Using it to distract her, he slowly slid his finger in, amazed with the tightness he felt around it. Severus could feel her muscles slowly relaxing and it became a little easier to slide in and out. When she felt comfortable, he wet her ass again and forced another finger with the first. She whimpered and tensed again, but he slowly slid in.  
“Shh, that’s right”, he purred to her. “Relax, my girl… Relax”.  
“Don’t stop fucking me”, she told him, “do both”.  
He could only groan as a response and did as she said. Slowly and carefully, he pressed two fingers into her ass, still moving his cock inside her.  
“Harder”, Heather told him after a while, when he felt her tight passage was relaxed. He kept his fingers inside and held her hip with his other hand, forcing his cock harder into her.  
“Oh, fuck…” he roared. “So tight… So perfect… Fucking delicious”.  
“Harder, harder”, she was moaning. “I wanna come, please make me come… Oh God, Severus, fuck me hard!”  
“Wicked minx”, he groaned smiling. “You want me to fuck you hard? Like this?”, he pushed forcefully into her, making her scream. “I know you like it. You like your man fucking you hard”, he was pounding non-stop now, and started moving his two fingers inside her ass as well, in the same pace. She screamed and her passage tightened a little, but he had her lubed again and kept moving. She was coming hard around his cock and fingers, silently screaming her release and rounding her hips against him, her body trembling and sweating. When she came back down, Severus leaned in and kissed her shoulder blades and her nape.  
“And now, my witch, my gorgeous, delicious minx, I’m gonna fuck your ass”.  
He got up again and slid his hard, throbbing cock out of her dripping pussy, and slid it slowly up to find her little ass. He circled it and wet her, preparing it to receive his length. And then he did what he had been dreaming for a while now: he slid in. She cried out at the first movement in.  
“Shh, it’s ok”, he said. “I’ll go very slowly”.  
It could have taken hours, but neither of them noticed. He slid in slowly and stopped every time she said it hurt, just to remain in place, never withdrawing, and kissing her, massaging, pinching her breasts and clit, until she was relaxed and horny enough for him to go on.  
“Well, love”, he said after a while. “I’m all in”.  
She felt full. He had a big dick, and she knew something enormous was up in her ass, but knowing he was really that deep was a surprise. He moved a little to make his point and she felt his balls sliding against her clit.  
“Are you ok, love?”, he asked  
“Just wait a minute”, she whimpered. “Let me get used to it”.  
“Does it hurt?”  
“Yes. But not as bad as I thought”.  
“Take your time, love”, he said above her. “We have all night”.  
Severus held himself inside her, not daring to move, feeling her walls strangling his cock. He was amazed at her tightness and could come just by being there, knowing she was giving it to him… But he wanted her to enjoy it, so he just waited, his hands circling her and massaging her breasts, pinching her nipples. Sliding down, he found her clit again and massaged it gently at first, but as she slowly started to swirl under him, moaning at the work his hands were doing, he worked harder on it, feeling it swallow even more.  
“It’s ok”, she finally said. “Let’s try moving”.  
It took them a long time. Her walls slowly stretched to accommodate him and finally accepted his tentative movements in and out. He kept her wet and comfortable, wanton and soft words whispered in her ear as he kissed and bit her neck and back.  
“Oh God”, Heather whimpered when he tried going a little faster  
“Ok?”, he asked, pausing  
“Yes”, she hissed. “Keep going… It’s good”  
He grunted, “Oh, my dear, you have no idea”, he said straightening up and holding her hips firmly. “You’re so tight… So good…”  
“Oh fuck!”, she screamed, her pleasure raising suddenly. “Fuck, Severus, oh, that’s so good!”  
“You like it? You like my cock up your ass?”, he panted  
“Shit, shit, shit, yes!!”  
Severus couldn’t believe it, but she was coming. Her ass clenched firmly around his cock and he could feel the gush of her come wetting his thighs and the bed. It was too much for him. Following her, he pounded strongly a few more times, groaning and grunting, and then he came, a loud shout filling the room as he emptied his seed, gush after gush, inside her tight hole.  
They were sweaty and exhausted. Severus wanted to say inside her and enjoy her warm tightness for longer, but his legs couldn’t stand anymore. He slid out of her slowly and then let himself fall on the bed by her side. She lay there on her stomach, still whimpering and breathing hard.  
“Are you ok?”, he asked for the tenth time.  
Heather opened her eyes, “Yes. I guess. It’s weird. Different. But damn…”  
Severus laughed. “”Well, I have different words for it. Delicious...amazing...hot”  
She laughed with him and moved to lie on his chest. His arms wrapped around her, their hot bodies and hearts calming down together. “You are amazing, Sev… I can`t believe you actually made me cum”.  
He grinned, proud, and kissed her forehead.

>0<

On the next few days, Heather tried to listen to Severus and go down to have breakfast every day, and really eat. Such simple task was harder than she would have thought. That obscene amount of food, beans, eggs, bacon, sausages, waffles and all of their mixed smells did no good for her appetite, incredibly. Even coffee, something she had been completely addicted to in America, she felt couldn’t have. Now, having plain sugarless tea and buttered toast, she could hear, somewhere, that her name was being called.  
“I think she’s asleep”, Sandra said, in front of her  
“I don’t think so, she’s chewing”, Davon answered  
“Heat, come back!”, Sandra said and threw a grape at her, hitting her forehead  
“Ouch! What?!”  
“Welcome back to the land of the living”, Davon touched her shoulder. “What’s wrong, honey?”  
“Nothing wrong, I’m just sleepy…”, she said resting the rest of her uneaten toast on a plate.  
“How much longer did you stay in the library after I left?”  
“I have no idea. I needed to finish that abstract of my entire schedule would be for nothing”.  
“Well, if you don’t sleep, you entire studying will be for nothing”, Sandra said. “How are you going to stay awake in class this morning?”  
“I did sleep, actually”, Heather said and yawned. “I don’t think I should be that sleepy, I think I had at least five hours asleep”.  
“It’s not just this night, you tiredness accumulates. There will come a day when you’ll need twelve hours of sleep to recover!”, Sandra argued  
“I don’t know why you are pushing yourself so hard, dear”, Davon said, attacking his eggs. “You got perfect grades last semester! I have my NEWTs this year too, and I am studying, but I’m not a suicidal about it like you are!”  
“How many NEWTs are you taking again?”, Sandra asked Davon  
“Eight! It’s a lot, but I still eat and sleep. What about you, Heat?”  
They looked at her and saw her sleeping, eyes closed but her teacup still on the air.  
“Heather!”, they both called her at the same time and she jumped, tea sloshing around  
“What, damnit, you wanna kill me?!”  
“You fell asleep on the breakfast table! You should go to your room and sleep in today”, Davon tried  
“Yeah, all right, and miss Arithmancy!”, she laughed. “Look, I’m fine. I’ll go now and, I don’t know, wash my face or something. I’ll be fine”, she got up. “See you in class”.  
Now it had been twenty minutes since Heather entered the girl’s bathroom and sat on the toilet. She was sleeping soundly, her muscles slowly relaxing enough for her to bend over and, in a moment, her forehead hit the door in front of her with a loud bang and she woke up startled, confused and, now, with a headache.  
Rubbing her head, she got up in a rush, cleaning herself and hurrying to the sink, where she washed her face with cold water. Casting a quick charm, she checked she was already late for her class. Cursing, she ran out of the bathroom.  
“Do you know how long you’ve been in there?”  
His voice was not the gentle one it had been in the past few weeks. Severus had been standing right at the door, in the empty hallway.  
“Have you been following me?”, Heather asked when she almost fell back into the bathroom after crashing into his chest  
“You are sick, Heather”, he ignored. “And I don’t care what you say anymore. You are going to the infirmary” and with that he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her along the halls  
“Severus, stop that! I have to go to class, I am fine!”  
“Do not argue with me, Miss Sebastian”, he said when a few student crossed their way. They had been close to the infirmary and took less than two minutes to get there, and Heather gave up. Maybe if the nurse examined her quickly she could still catch half of her class.  
“NEWT exhaustion, Pomfrey”, Severus said to the healer when she approached them.  
“Oh, about time”, the old woman said. “You’re the first this year, dear. For now. Go on, lie in that bed”.  
Giving Severus an angry look, Heather made him let go of her arm forcefully, but did what she said and the healer went to the shelves on the back of the infirmary to retrieve potions.  
“I have a class now”, Severus said approaching the bed. “But I’ll check on you later”.  
“Yes, I know you have a class; so do I”.  
“Stop being a child, Heather”, Severus said in a low voice. “Mature in every other way but with you own health. It’s embarrassing”, he hissed at her and turned around, quickly leaving the infirmary.  
“All right, dear, here we go. I’ll give you a sleeping potion and you’ll be here for the remaining of the day. Don’t!”, she said hastily when Heather started arguing. “You’ll have a note and your teachers will give you the work of the day, do not worry”, she said and started moving her wand along Heather’s body. “I don’t want you starving and passing out in the hallways only to have to be carried here and give me ever more tro—“  
She stopped talking abruptly and frowned. Heather looked down and didn’t see anything that could have made her act like that.  
“Madam?”, she asked  
“Shush!”  
Outraged, Heather wanted to get up and tell the woman to shove it, but curiosity got the best of her.  
“Oh. Oh, dear”, Madam Pomfrey lowered her wand and looked at her. “You are with child!”  
It was silent for a moment and then the word child started repeating itself on her ears. Dizzy, Heather lay her head back in bed and closed her eyes. You are with child, her mind repeated.

>0<

Heather willingly took the sleeping potion and fell into a deep dreamless slumber. She had made Pomfrey promise, to her medical oath, that she would not tell anyone she was pregnant. She was a student but she was of age, and that was her decision, nobody else’s. The healer had tried to ask whose was it, but Heather just told her it was someone from outside, and gently asked her to let it be.  
Now I really have to eat, she thought, not hungry at all, right before dinner, already in her rooms. That was not what worried her the most, though. She hadn’t even been able to think it all thought yet, her mind was a fuzz, no coherent thought could calm her down now. She was pregnant. After reacquainting with her brother, that had been one of her dreams for life; being a mother. That right had been ripped out of her years ago, and her heart desired it dearly… But certainly not now. She had school. She had NEWTs. She had Severus.  
Oh, Gods. Severus. How would he react? He had never even mentioned anything that could make Heather imagine if he wanted children or not in his future... And they had just admitted their relationship; it was too new, too complicated… Well, if I thought it was complicated before! She barely talked to her colleagues at the Ravenclaw table, blaming it on the excess of sleep she had had that afternoon.

May 25th

Ok now, Heather Sarah. Deep breaths. It will be ok.  
She knocked. Butterflies filled her stomach as if it would be the first time she saw him, the first time she entered his rooms. She hadn’t been with him for four days now, since she had been given the news. She didn’t know how to tell him or how to act with him before telling, so she preferred to avoid him, to stay late in the library as an excuse for him not to go to her. She kept studying, but eating properly now, even if she didn’t have any appetite.  
The day after she found out she was pregnant, the knut dropped. I am going to be a mom. Her heart still raced every time she thought of it, but her mind quickly accepted the fact. Naturally, her mind started going over baby names and trying to imagine its sex, excitement filling her heart. She was already a mom.  
Severus opened the door and frowned at her. “What are you doing standing there? Didn’t I tell you to come in?”  
“Did you?”, she blushed, heard thumping on her chest. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you, must have been distracted”.  
“Come in”, he said giving her space. Heather entered and stopped right in front of him. He closed the door.  
“Hi”, she breathed to him.  
“Hello”.  
They grabbed each other at the same time, kissing deeply from the first second. She moaned unintentionally. Heather had been thinking about so many things, she almost underestimated how much she missed him. She hung on his shoulders allowing him to lick her lips and enter her mouth as his hands travelled down his back to her waist. In a quick movement, Severus turned her around and pulled her against the wall, his body pressing against hers.  
“Oh, Severus…”, she moaned  
He groaned, “Yes… I missed you”, and proceeded to kiss her jaw, ear and neck.  
Heather almost forgot what she went there to tell him about. Almost.  
“Wait, Severus. Severus?”, he didn’t seem to be listening, for his tongue was now tracing a path down her neck to her shoulder. “Sev?”, she said and pushed his chest. He looked at her. “Just wait a moment. I need to tell – talk – er... Give you something”  
“Can’t it wait?”, he asked and she understood his urgency: there was a huge bulk inside his trousers.  
“No. It can’t”.  
He breathed in deeply to regain control and let go of her, but still stood very close.  
“Here”, she said at once, searching inside her robes and taking a white envelope out. With a questioning look, Severus took it. “It’s for you. Open it”.  
Suspicious, he did. She watched, swallowing hard, as he pulled a picture out of the envelope. A blurry black and white image moved slightly and he stared at it, taking a long moment to understand what he was looking at. It was an image Heather had asked Madam Pomfrey to charm for her early that same day.  
“It’s, uh-“, she said, unable to stand the silence. “It’s ours, if you are wondering”.  
He didn’t move, look at her or react in any way. It was a statue of a very surprised Severus. Heather didn’t count the minutes and she knew it mustn’t have been too many, but it felt like an hour.  
“Please say something”, she whispered, but still got no reaction. “Damnit, Severus!”,, she barked and took the picture from his hand, quickly turning around and opening the door. A little part of her still expected a reaction, maybe he would stop her from leaving, but he didn’t. She ran out of his room and up to her floor in the verge of crying.  
Screw him!!, she thought as she closed her door and started pacing on her living room. If he doesn’t want it, I don’t care. I’ve done everything alone in my life, I can do that too! She stopped and looked at the image. It was very similar to muggle sonography, but the lines were a lot clearer.  
“If it has to be just you and me, so be it. We’ll be great together”.  
Her heart was just half in it, though. She had imagined and dreamed too much on those days. Severus accompanying her on her exams, caressing her belly, helping her with decorations of baby bedrooms, rushing her to a healer when the time came. Stupid romantic fool, she cursed at herself. That was exactly why she had never intended to get involved.  
“How long have you known?”  
She jumped at the sound of his voice, not having heard the door open.  
“Four days”.  
“Four days? And to me, you give two minutes to understand the news, absorb it, feel every rush of weird – unknown – terrifying feelings, and react to it. You didn’t tell me for four days, you should at least give me a few minutes”.  
He breathed slowly to calm down. Severus closed the door behind him and walked towards her.  
“You’re right”, she said. “I’m sorry. I got nervous. I didn’t know how you were going to react. It surprised me to see no reaction at all”.  
“Believe me, I was reacting... Inside, at least. I’m sorry”.  
“No, I’m sorry. I just dropped it on you like a bomb and expected you to react exactly the way I imagined”.  
“And how did you imagine it?”  
“Well…”, she looked down. “I didn’t know – I still don’t know what you think about it – having a baby, I mean… But I wished you’d be happy. And hug me… and tell me everything will be ok”. Heather felt tears in her eyes and laughed nervously. “Damn hormones, look at that!”  
She was engulfed in a tight hug then, one of his hands on the back of her head and the other on her lower back. She had her arms trapped between them, but she didn’t care, the feeling of protection washing over her like never before.  
“I am happy”, he whispered. “Shocked, of course, but… In a good way, I suppose”.  
She just nodded, her tears winning the battle. “I am very happy with it”, she said. “I’ve always wanted, not now, of course, but…”  
“But we’ll do the best of it. It will be ok”.  
She looked up at him, “We? So you’re – we’re doing it?”  
“Of course”, he said softly but frowned. “It’s my child. What did you think I would do?”  
That question got her thinking. How could she have imagined even for a second that Severus wouldn’t be there for her and his child? It sounded absurd now.  
“I didn’t think. I was just scared”.  
“There is no need to be scared”, he said and cupped her face. “Ok? We’re together now”.  
Tearful, she smiled and nodded. Severus wiped away her tears with his thumbs before kissing her softly on the lips. She relaxed into his kiss and let him slowly take over and deepen it. Soon they were again in the passionate kiss that had been interrupted minutes ago in his rooms.  
“Now, where were we?”, Severus asked, pushing her backwards to her bed. “Oh, right, I believe this is where I was”, he was smirking and buried his face on her neck, kissing her. Heather smiled breathless.  
Now, that was the reaction she had imagined.


	19. She is not a Sebastian

June

“Dear little (not so little) Brother,

I miss you already. Seeing you was like a dream come true. I wish we had never been apart for such a long time.  
Since we met, something incredible has happened, and so far only my boyfriend knows. I wanted you to be the first to know, other than him:  
I’M PREGNANT.  
That’s right! We’re having a baby. An unplanned, surprise baby but I’m so happy! You know, for me this is like a second chance. I am finally going to be a mother. I’m only six weeks along and you can’t notice yet, but this little person is growing and it’s making me so happy already.  
The dad was scared at first, he had never given thought to being a father, but after the knut dropped, he was really happy too. We’re in a very good moment… School will end in a couple of months, I’m finally starting to believe I might actually be prepared for the NEWTs, and when I’m out of Hogwarts… Well, nothing is really planned yet. I’m not even sure if I want to be a healer or an apprentice in Charms, because now with the baby everything is going to change. But it’s not a problem, I’m going to adapt and I won’t be doing this alone.  
That’s it, little brother, you are going to be an uncle! I really want you to be part of his or her life. We are family.  
I love you,  
Heats”

>0<

It had been a week already and Jonathan hadn’t answered. Heather didn’t know if it was her pregnancy hormones, it could be, but she had a bad feeling about this. Studying became harder by the day, as she always felt exhausted and was now worrying about her brother as well.  
Severus had been providing her with a few potions, including one to make her stomach feel better. She hadn’t had any morning sickness, but the lack of appetite was really getting the better of her and after taking them she was finally able to eat well.  
“Is it just me or…”, Severus started and paused as he watched her get dressed one morning, having to go back to her room to retrieve her school bag. “No, it’s not just me. You are showing already”.  
“You can see it too?”, she asked excited, hurrying to stand in front of the full length mirror. “I thought it was just in my head!”  
“Definitely not”, Severus said as he got up and stood behind her, looking at her reflection in the glass. Our little one is growing”.  
He had been so much more gentle and tender; it almost freaked her out in the beginning, but she got easily used to it. He seemed genuinely happy and even smiled more, at least when they were alone. He was still a snarky bastard in class. One day, in the teacher`s lounge, Severus saw himself alone with Minerva, who immediately smiled and walked towards him.  
“I didn’t have a chance to ask how things went in America Severus. How are you two doing dear?”  
Severus thought she sounded like a mother who was really fond of the girlfriend of her little boy. He grinned before he could contain himself and, without planning to, just blurted out “We are with child”.  
Minerva gasped, her hands flying to her heart, mouth agape.  
“Severus! You can’t just blurt out news like that; do you want me to have a heart attack?”  
Now he actually laughed, making the headmistress even more shocked. “No harm meant Minerva, I just thought you would appreciate knowing”.  
“Miss Sebastian is really pregnant?”, she asked as if to confirm they were really talking about the same thing.  
“Yes, she is most definately pregnant with my child”.  
If she had been shocked, it was nothing compared to what Severus felt when the old woman threw herself at him, hugging him tight, with impressive strength for a woman of her age. She congratulated him with tears in her eyes and Severus thought it good to remind her to keep it to herself. No one could know that a teacher had impregnated a student.  
Heather decided to stop taking the stomach potion to check if she would do ok without it, and it proved to be a good choice. The potion made her a little too hungry and she was worried she’d eat too much of the wrong things, but without it she had felt her appetite return to normal; at least the normal for a pregnant woman. Whiskers, the house elf, had been assigned by Severus to go to her whenever she needed something, a luxury other students didn’t have. When Heather met little Abigail Green in the halls one day, she invited her to go have tea in her rooms. Abby had been ecstatic, specially because when they met, some of the other girls from her year were making fun of her for using her muggle trainers, something her great aunt had given her as a present and she really liked them.  
“Abby!”, Heather said happily approaching the group  
“Hi, Heather”, she said in a low voice, embarrassed by the other girls’ teasing  
“Who are you?”, one of them asked  
“I’m Abby’s friend”, she said frowning down at the girl. “Who are you?”  
“I-I am too”.  
“You’re not my friend”, Abby looked back at the girl immediately. “Friends don’t tease like you were”.  
“Let’s go, Abby”.  
They turned around and walked down the hall. When they were out of the girls’ sight, Abby laughed and jumped on the spot, happy to see their faces knowing she now had a grown up as a friend.  
Now they were sitting on the floor around the coffee table in her living room, having tea, scones and cinnamon rolls. Heather was happy to see that Abby seemed to be completely recovered from what had happened to her when they met, months ago, but she still struggled to make new friends and escape the bullies.  
“See, one thing I learned from when I was at school, was that”, she stopped to swallow a bite of her roll, “is that all the bullies and the ones who don’t what to be your friend, no matter how much you want it, they all pass. In a few years it will be hard for you to remember their names. The ones you will remember are the good ones, and even if you haven’t met them yet, you will. Don’t rush on it, friendship is a real feeling, you don’t force it. You can’t force people to like you, and people can’t force you to either. You have to be patient dear, being new at a school is hard for everyone. So you can be sure, when you make one friend, it will be real and forever”.  
With that, they both promised to keep writing to each other after Heather left Hogwarts and it was a heartfelt promise. She really liked the girl, kind like a younger sister, and she did want to know how her life would be.

>0<

Heather took long moments to understand what was going on. When she opened her eyes, her room, which should have been dark, had a gloomy green light and, somewhere, a worried voice called out her name.  
“Headmistress?”, she asked recognizing her voice and finally understanding where it came from.  
The old woman’s face was looming on the green fire on the fireplace. “Miss Sebastian, I know it is quite late, but I do need you to step over into my office. Hurry please dear”.  
It didn’t take her more than three minutes to be dressed and perfectly awake to go to the head office through the floo. What she saw there made her blood turn to ice in her veins and her body get stuck in front of the fireplace.  
Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian stood up from the couch they had been sitting on when they saw their daughter arriving. Mr. Sebastian looked at her up and down, his lips turning in a disgusted look at the image of his elder disheveled, a robe covering her nightgown and her hair loose and messy. Mrs. Sebastian took a few slow and theatrical steps towards Heather, her hands clasped together just below her chest.  
“Heather”, she said, and the sound of her voice sent horrible chills through Heather’s spine. She was unable to open her mouth to say anything. “Jonathan sends his regards and his wishes of the best of luck with your… child”, she started, looking down at Heather’s stomach at the last word. “He won't be answering you, though. I’m sure after the little talk your father and I had with him, he won’t be in touch with you in the near future”.  
The silence after her introduction was heavy and cutting. Heather could only breathe hard, her dry mouth refused to open, her heart thudding painfully in her chest.  
“I see you have not given up on giving birth to a little bastard. How hard must you have tried”.  
“Now, Mrs. Sebastian, I don’t think--”, Minerva tried to speak  
“I believe I mentioned to you that I have influent contacts with members of this institution’s board. More than one, if I’m not mistaken?”, she kept going, ignoring the Headmistress of that institution. “Your father and I are done just speaking. He has already contacted them demanding and emergency meeting tomorrow. One of their students is carrying a child. Imagine their disappointment”.  
Heather mind was rushing with thoughts and the most perfect words to speak now, but they disappeared the moment they reached her throat. Her lips were still glued and she was not sure she could feel her limbs. Rage was closing up her throat, painfully so.  
Severus, she thought. Please, Severus.  
“We arrived early to inform you that beforehand. We thought it was the least we could do... More than you actually deserve, but you see, as your parents, no matter what you have done to us, we might still be a little soft. We thought you should be permitted to be prepared before our meeting with them, scheduled for tomorrow”. Mrs. Sebastian’s head crooked to the right, looking down at Heather. “They will know, Heather Sarah. And you will be promptly expelled”.  
“You don’t know that is true, Mrs. Sebastian”, the headmistress spoke, her voice a little louder now to make sure she was heard. “The board can make decisions, but they do not do so by listening to just one side. I believe they do try in all their might to be fair in any case”.  
Heather’s mother was looking at Minerva with her eyebrows raised. After a moment staring at her in silence, she turned her head back to Heather and said “Whose is it, anyway?”, she pointed at her stomach. Heather was finally able to move, her hands covering her middle protectively. “This illegitimate child. Whose is it?”  
Heather’s ears were buzzing, her stomach in knots. She didn’t hear anything, but saw the surprised expression suddenly change her mother’s face as she looked at the door. She was still looking at the woman, but she knew Severus had just entered and stood by her side, his dark robes clearly visible in her peripheral vision.  
“It is mine”, his strong, clear voice said and Heather felt his hand holding her shoulder. “Not an illegitimate child, as you so kindly put, Mrs. Sebastian. Our child”.  
By their faces, Heather understood they knew who that man was. Of course they knew; the world knew who the war heroes were, and Severus Tobias Snape, Potions Master, War Hero, Order of Merlin First Class, was definitely one of them.  
“I see by your stunned, unladylike expression, that you already know who I am, Mrs. Sebastian. You as well, Mr. Sebastian. With that, I have one simple, easy to answer question for you two: who do you think you are?”  
His voice was low and threatening. Heather felt his warm hand on her shoulder tighten the grip and his warmth start to tingle her skin, somewhat beginning to wake her nerves up. Coldness started to vanish.  
“You think you have some kind of power over this school’s board?, he asked when neither answered. “Again, I ask… Who do you think you are? You were not here when this school needed support the most. You were not even mentioned or reminded during our ordeal; ordeal we all have faced and overcome in union, including the board. And I believe, Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian, the opinion of one of them, one of the Masters of this secular wizarding institution and a crucial warrior of our enfranchisement, would have a slightly stronger word than two arrogant unknown American elite members”.  
Mrs. Sebastian started to move her lips, no sound coming out, trying to say something. Her husband, who had been standing behind her, walked over and stood by her side, also looking for words.  
“Don’t even waste your time, and most importantly, our time”, he said, his hand sliding from Heather’s shoulder to rub her back, making slow, firm patterns there to comfort her. “I suggest you turn your back, enter that fireplace and disappear without a sound, or I would have the immense pleasure of saying the word to discredit and destroy your reputation among this school’s board and any elite members of your home country. You should know that I know everything you did to your own daughter. If you so clearly know who I am, you probably know that nothing would stop me from defending my witch and my child”.  
This seemed to unfreeze the woman, somewhat, but when she spoke her voice seemed to be somebody else’s. When before it had been cold, cruel and loud, it was now a stuttered whisper. “Y-your witch?”  
“Yes, my witch. Heather will be freed from the dirt name she stills carries. A woman like her does not deserve the dishonor to be called a Sebastian. You are looking now at future Mrs. Snape. I believe you will agree with me when I say the Sebastians do not want to be enemies with the Snapes”.  
Mrs. Sebastian looked at her daughter and saw she was smiling. Heather hadn’t even noticed when her lips had turned upwards, but her heart was now pounding hard in a different and more pleasant way.  
“I… I-I’m not sure you understand, S-Snape”.  
“It is Professor Snape to you”, Heather found her voice and was surprised to see how strong it was.  
“Now look here, young—“  
“Theophilia!”, Mrs. Sebastian grabbed his wife’s forearm and spoke in a strong voice, slightly startling those in the room. “That is enough. Shut your inconsequent mouth before I do it for you”, he paused and there was a silence when the woman stuttered again. “We are going home now and we will never speak of her again. You lost us our eldest years ago, you will not lose us our reputation as well”.  
“Well, look at you, father, speaking as if you haven’t done anything to lose me. But suit yourself, go now. I never want to see your faces again in my life. I have my own family now”.  
The stunned couple looked like a blur rushing to the fireplace, the man grasping his wife’s arms in a bruising and strong grip, as they disappeared. There was a moment of silence when all Heather heard was her heart pounding and her rushed breath. In a moment, another sound took her out of a revere; Minerva was clapping her hands and skipping in her place like a girl, celebrating the Sebastian’s defeat.  
“Heather, are you--”, Severus started turning to face her, but was deliciously interrupted when she also turned to him and threw herself in his arms, her lips crushing his and her arms wrapping around his neck strongly. Minerva, still dancing happily like a little girl, turned around in her place to give them a quick moment of privacy.  
“Oh, Severus! Amazing – great – Gods!”, she mumbled now burying her face on his neck. He smiled returning her hug just as fiercely. “My Severus! I love you. I love you, Sev, I love you!’  
“You—“, he said holding her shoulders and pushing her a little, just enough to be able to look at her face. “Youwhat?”  
She smiled, never confusing his surprise with something bad. “You heard me. I love you, Severus”.  
He kissed her so suddenly and so hard on the lips that if he wasn’t still holding her shoulders she would have fumbled backwards. After a quick kiss, he hugged her fiercely again.  
“I love you too”, he whispered  
“Ahem”, they heard somewhere in the same room and turned to look at Minerva. “You two can go now”, she said smiling.  
“Headmistress”, Heather said untangling herself from Severus and turning to the woman. “I apologize for the way they spoke to you—“  
“They actually barely spoke to me, my dear, but I know what you mean. Don’t worry, it was hardly your fault”.  
“Well, for what it’s worth, I can assure you I am not, nor will I ever be anything like them. At all”.  
“That comes without saying. Go on now, you two”.

July 31st

OWLs and NEWTs were an event at Hogwarts. For every other year students it was just finals season – as if it was such a simple thing – but the major tests taken by fifth years, seventh years and Heather took three days to be done, divided into theoretical, practical and integrated testing.  
Severus slowly and attentively paced the Great Hall, chaperoning the last test of the OWLs. Half of his mind was there, checking for cheaters and for signs of exhaustion – every year at least one student fainted during the last tests. The other half of his mind was on the NEWTs test, which was being held in another space, and on Heather. That morning he had practically shoved food down her throat, she had been too nervous to willingly eat, and he was worried about her, her test and, obviously, their baby.  
That is so out of character, the allowed himself to mock. Months ago he would never have imagined a moment in his life where he would be worried sick about another person’s well being over his own, specially a student who was taking final tests.  
A few fifth years had already delivered their finished tests, but some were still hurrying to write down the last answer when the bell rang. The tests flew out of their grasps and landed on the desk at the front of the hall in a neat pile. Murmurs of disappointment reached Severus’ ears.  
“You have had three hours, do not complain. Get out now”.  
He felt like running out like the crowd. Outside the great hall, students of all years started celebrating; it was the end of one more year, summer was finally there. Even celebrating they had the good sense to get out of the professor’s way as he exited the hall and walked up the stairs, dark scrutinizing eyes scanning the crowd.  
Heather was hugging Davon just outside the room where they had just finished their tests. She looked tired but had a smile on her face, which just grew brighter when she saw him approaching.  
“I’ll write to you, ok?”, she told her friend. “I have to go now”.  
“Hmm, ok!”, Davon saw looking at the same direction and seeing their Defense Professor getting closer. “Do write, I want to know all about the, uh-“, he said pointing to the general direction of her stomach, “-miniature bat”.  
“Hey!”  
He laughed, “Sorry, honey, my bad! Now, really”, he held her hands, “Make the best out of our life, dear. You deserve it and you fought for it. I hope I can have you as a friend out of here, because I am so proud of you!”  
Emotional, she hugged him again. “You will be a deliciously funny uncle for the baby”.  
“Mr. Jones”, Severus said as he approached them  
“Professor Snape”, Davon said turning to him. “I am off now. Thank you very much for your patience with my class, Master. And for everything else for that matter”.  
The professor nodded. “Have a good life, Mr. Jones”.  
Davon’s smile enlarged at that, “You too sir. You two”.  
Minutes later, as the entire crowd of students was still celebrating in the Great Hall and the Entrance Hall; nobody saw Professor Snape and the now ex-student Heather Sebastian cross the grounds in a hurry to reach the gates. There, out of everybody’s view, the professor took her into his arms and, looking at her eyes very closely, disaparated.

>0<

The hotel room had the biggest bathtub Heather had ever seen. The bubbles smelled like mint and the warm water made Severus’ cheeks flush. Sitting in front of him, her legs entwined with his, Heather washed his hair, fingertips massaging his scalp slowly. She loved the way he had closed his eyes and was now so relaxed, grunting in delight with her fingers movements. When he opened his eyes, he saw Heather smiling serenely at him. He just stared back, silently.  
“You look adorable flushed like this”, she told him  
“Adorable? Well, you can be certain no one has ever dared call or thought me adorable before”.  
“Too bad for them”.  
She leaned in and kissed him, hands resuming the massage to his scalp. After a long moment just enjoying it and letting the witch kiss him, Severus reached out for her hips and gently pulled her to his lap, straddling him. Heather stopped kissing him and they just stared at each other. Silently, Severus held himself and pulled Heather down to him, and slowly entered her. She sat on him, their bodies connected now, but they didn’t move for a long time.  
With him inside her, Heather finished washing his hair and rinsed it, the soap running down his face and his chest. Clean, Severus reached for the soap bar and washed her upper body, slowly running the soap and his hands up and down her back, her neck, shoulders and breasts, where he took a long time massaging them, and then to her stomach. He was amazed to see it growing. It was still small, but he could clearly see the changes in her body. The small lump was his child, and that simple thought made his heart warm in a still unknown manner.  
“Heather?”, he whispered and she only opened her eyes as a response, looking at him with a content smile. “Let’s get married”.  
He saw her breath catch instantly and could feel her heart beat faster under his hands. Her beautiful, deep blue eyes sparkled, wet, and she smiled before whispering, her lips touching his, “Yes. Let’s get married”.

August 5th, 2002

Severus and Heather had been down to the hotel’s restaurant having breakfast when the owl arrived. Through the open door that led to the balcony, it entered and dropped a roll of parchment on the bed. They arrived back in the room shortly later, still laughing at the reprimand they had received from a hotel worker for snogging on the hallway.  
“So, where do you want to go today? I was thinking about that cave the receptionist told us—“  
“Severus?”  
“Yes?”  
“There is a parchment on the bed”.  
He looked at where she was staring. The roll was there and he recognized the wax; it was from the Ministry.  
“It’s your results. Go on”, he said and Heather walked slowly to the bed and sat down, still staring at the rolled paper. “Uhm… Could you… Will you open it for me, Sev?”  
He dropped the informative on the touristic spots of the city on the table and patiently walked to her, sitting across the bed. “No”, he answered. “They are your results. Your entire year of hard work summarized in a few abbreviations. You’re the one who has to open it”.  
She looked at him for a few more moments before looking down again and quickly reaching for the parchment, as to not lose her will. Severus saw her tear it open un unroll it, and observed as her eyes quickly snacked the content from top to bottom. Her breathing was getting faster by the second and in a moment she covered her mouth with a hand and looked at him with tears in her eyes.  
“What?”, he asked excitedly and just a little bit worried.  
When she uncovered her mouth, he saw the reason of the tears. A large, bright, trebling smiled garnished her face and the tears escaped. Seeing she couldn’t speak now, he took the parchment from her hand and saw for himself.  
She had done perfectly. Nothing below E’s in every subject she took.  
“I knew it!!”, he said throwing the parchment away and rising to round the bed and stand in front of her. “I knew you’d do great! That’s my witch”, he said and kissed her, bending over her and pushing her down to the bed. “My clever, smart”, he said laying on top of her, her hand now clutching him closer to her as she cried, “outstanding witch!”

She couldn’t say anything; she just cried and held him hard to her.  
“It’s ok now, my love”, he told her, supporting himself on his elbows to look down at her. “You can do anything you want now. It’s over, you’ve done it”, he said and Heather murmured something among her tear. “I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, love, he smiled at her  
“We”, she said clearly. “We can do anything we want now”.  
His smile froze for a moment before he frowned. After a moment he got up and sat on the bed, by her side.  
“Severus? What is it?”, she asked, trying to dry her face  
“I – I don’t know. I’m not sure what I want to do”.  
“You still want to marry me?”, she asked smiling  
“Of course!”, he answered quickly. “But… What I mean is… I’m not sure if I want to go back to Hogwarts”.  
Heather eyebrows rose up, “Really?”.  
“Yes. I think… I suppose I have nothing else to get from that place. I’ve spent my entire life there. I went back after the war, when nobody expected me to do so. But now…”, he paused to look better and her and took her hands on his. “There’s nothing else I want from there. I found you, what else can I expect from that castle?”  
“Isn’t there any position there you’d want, in the future? Any career opportunity?”  
“Only if I wished to be headmaster again. And hell will freeze over before I want that job again”.  
“Well… So… Let’s leave”, she said, simply. “I can go to Healing school anywhere in the world, well, after the baby is born, and you can... What?”  
“Work for myself, brew potions, open a shop”, he said quickly.  
They stopped talking as they realized they were smiling at each other, breaths labored and excited, hands clutched together. Future had never seemed so bright for the man and his witch, but now, even when they had absolutely no idea where they would go of what they would do, nothing seemed to matter.  
They were not facing future alone anymore.


	20. Epilogue

May 2nd, 2003

“Is that… Is that Professor Snape?”  
The entire group stopped talking to stare at the spot to where Ronald Weasley was looking at, gapping.  
“No, I don’t think so. Wait a minute”, Harry Potter said and gave the glass of wine he had been holding to Ginny, his wife, before stalking on his direction.  
“I think it is”, Hermione Weasley said, her arm on her husband’s. “But he looks so…”  
“Well shagged”, George Weasley said, only to get shoved on the ribs by his girlfriend. “What? He does”.  
“It is him”, Ginny said, watching as Harry stopped by the man’s side and greeted him. “And he is not alone”.  
Every girl in the group got together very closely almost immediately as to stare and talk about who was accompanying him. It had been news last year when Severus Snape resigned from his post on Hogwarts and left the country. Nobody had seen or heard of him again, and when asked about it, the Headmistress only said he had rightfully decided to retire.  
They were at the annual party that celebrated the Final Battle anniversary. Professor Snape had not taken part on it last year, so when a man in white shirt and black slacks, his deep black hair with graying spots on the temples now short and elegant, it took a while until people started recognizing him. His skin was not anymore the pale white people had been used too, nor had he the wrinkles of a stressed out professor.  
“He looks good. Has Professor Snape ever looked good to any of you?”, Angelina asked the other women.  
“No, but then again, we didn’t get to see him a lot after the war”, Hermione answered.  
“I can’t get a look at the woman!”, Ginny said stretching her neck trying to get a good angle. “Can you see her?”  
In a moment, a group of wizards who had been standing on the way moved along and the group was able to see a clear picture of the couple. They went completely mute.  
The woman in question must have been their age. A beautiful thin, blonde, well dressed, smiley woman, black dress and very high heels, her golden cascades falling over her shoulders until almost her waist. She was smiling at Harry as Professor Snape introduced her, and they shook hands. As if it hadn’t been enough, she was holding a child in her arms. A black-haired baby girl with eyes so blue they spotted it from the distance, cute dress and bow on her head. Harry seemed just as amazed by it as the women did. They could see some annoyance on the professor’s expression, but it was not even a tad close to what they had been used to their entire school years. As he exchanged polite words with Harry, the placed a hand on the blond woman’s back and they got closer together.  
“Wow. A woman and a baby. The man is full of surprises”, Ginny broke the silence  
“Wife, for what I see”, Hermione said. “See the rings? It weird, she must be our age”.  
“Yes, I think so too. Isn’t it weird?”  
“It is, but”, Angelina answered and paused. “She definitely saw something on him that none of us could ever see, even being our age”.  
Harry was returning to them now and they didn’t even try to hide their curiosity.  
“All right, all right”, Harry said after the many question they shot at him. “She is his wife, her name is Heather Snape, the little girl is three months old and her name is Emily and yes, you are gaping like fishes at Professor Snape’s daughter. She is starting Healing training next year and Professor Snape, who persistently told me not to call him professor anymore, has opened an apothecary in the wizarding Venice, where they live now. Is that enough or do you want to know her shoe number, of how many times the baby poops a day?”, he laughed and Ginny slapped his arm. “Oh, and by the way, they know you are staring and, in the professor’s words, you should stop staring and act like normal people for once in your life, you dunderheads”.  
They tried to stop doing that immediately, but it wasn’t easy. Ronald got a little upset that Hermione said more than once that the professor looked good, but as soon as the baby started getting agitated and crying, they had no more reason to stare. The couple left discreetly, or as discreetly as possible when every person at the party was curious about them, returning to their life far away from them.  
It was news on the Prophet for days. The pictures showed a family as normal as any other and as happy as anyone could be. A woman who looked lovingly at her husband, a man who held the baby in his arms when she got tired and who never stopped touching her, either on her back, her hand and once even her hair, and a cute little baby who was the exact mixture of both her parents. It was on the conversations for a while, on the breakfast tables at homes exactly like the one they must have in Venice, how the woman looked beautiful, how the baby looked adorable, and how the man looked peaceful and, why not, happy.


End file.
